UN REF:  A-HRC-55-NGO-281

Date: 7 March 2024

Title: Increased Violence against Palestinian Children Since October 7th in Gaza

Written statement submitted by The Palestinian Return Centre Ltd, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status. Human Rights Council Fifty-fifth session 26 February–5 April 2024, Agenda item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development.

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Press Relese:

PRC Submits Written Statement to UN Human Rights on Israeli Violence against Palestinian Children

The Palestinian Return Centre Ltd (PRC) in London submitted a written statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council entitled “Increased Israeli Violence against Palestinian Children Since October 7th 2023” and which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31.

The statement underscored Israel’s violations of children’s rights, as Palestinian children living under Israeli military occupation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip are routinely denied their right to life, right to education, right to adequate housing, and are denied access to healthcare, among other rights.

PRC warned that since October 7th 2023, Palestinian children have not only been denied these fundamental human rights, but have also been the sole target of the Israeli government's onslaught of Gaza, in direct violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The document said that schools, children’s hospital wards, as well as children merely walking to seek water, food or other forms of sustenance, have been targeted by Israeli airstrikes, and live ammunition.

“At the time of writing, over 12,000+ Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 7th alone, with thousands more becoming amputees and succumbing life altering injuries”, the statement read.

“Palestinian children of all ages are under attack by Israeli forces in Gaza. Palestinian schools had to end their academic year early due to the violence, with nearly all schools in the Strip becoming shelters for women and children who have had their homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. A vast number of these schools have been attacked, and are still being attacked by Israeli forces, despite them being all densely populated by Palestinian children”, it added.

PRC also warned of an increase in Israeli violence toward Palestinian children living in the occupied West Bank. Children have been killed in the past twelve weeks – more than double the number of children killed in all of 2022, amid increased military and law enforcement operations. More than 576 have been injured and others have reportedly been detained. Approximately over 200 children have been arrested since October 7th as part of punitive collective detention campaigns. These detained children are subjected to various forms of psychological and physical torture, without respecting the necessary child protection measures.

PRC expressed grave concern over the increasing number of child casualties and strongly urged the Israeli government to adhere to international laws and take immediate steps to prevent any more harm to all civilians, especially children.

“Intentionally targeting and causing harm to civilians constitutes a war crime, and international humanitarian law places a definite responsibility on all sides in a conflict to safeguard the lives of civilians who are impacted by the ongoing hostilities”, said PRC.

PRC called upon the international community to demand the Israeli Occupation forces do not put Palestinian children in harm's way.