GAZA, (PIC)
A report by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights sheds light on the tragedy faced by Palestinian children as a result of Israeli genocide.
The report, titled “A Generation Erased: Gaza’s Children in the Midst of Genocide,” focuses on the systematic and deliberate crimes of genocide committed by Israel against children in the Gaza Strip. These crimes include killing, severe physical and psychological harm, and imposing living conditions intended to destroy them both physically and mentally. The report emphasizes the lack of international accountability and highlights the role of Western support and global inaction in enabling these crimes.
Crimes against children
Attorney Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, described Israel’s genocidal crimes against children as deliberate and systematic. He stated, “The occupation’s attacks specifically targeted children through deliberate assaults on residential areas and shelters. As a result, children make up the majority of fatalities, with approximately 17,000 children killed so far.”
According to Sourani, the Israeli occupation has also employed starvation tactics, preventing children and their families from accessing food and water. This suffering is particularly acute for children and pregnant women.
The widespread destruction of homes has displaced nearly two million people in Gaza, leaving them homeless and exposed to the cold of winter and the heat of summer. Hospitals have been destroyed, medical treatments and vaccinations denied, and schools destroyed, depriving children of their right to education. This deliberate and extended policy, Sourani said, confirms that Israel and its army are the most morally corrupt in the world, making them the foremost enemy of children globally.
Direct targeting of children
Since October 7, 2023, Gaza’s children have become direct victims of genocide, beginning with the act of “killing” perpetrated by Israeli forces in a deliberate and calculated manner. Israeli leadership has made their intentions clear, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referencing a biblical story of annihilation. Addressing Israeli soldiers and officers, he said: “Now go, attack Amalek, and destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
Since the start of the Israeli attacks, more than 17,000 children have been killed in Gaza—an average of one child every ten minutes. This statistic does not include deaths caused by diseases, starvation, or epidemics.
The report includes testimonies that reveal systematic and widespread targeting of children. These include collecting children’s torn bodies in bags, burning them alive in deliberate fires, and killing them while they sleep, in moments of false safety, or while attempting to secure humanitarian aid. Children have also died while fleeing along routes falsely labeled as “safe” by the Israeli military. Others have perished in hospitals due to power cuts, which have turned incubators into silent graves.
Severe physical and psychological harm
The second act of genocide detailed in the report involves inflicting severe physical or mental harm on the targeted group. This harm is intentional and aimed at causing serious, long-term damage.
According to international jurisprudence, severe physical harm includes injuries such as disfigurement, permanent disability, or grave impacts on physical and mental health. The report documents horrific injuries suffered by Gaza’s children as a result of Israeli bombing and massive explosions.
These injuries include amputations, severe facial disfigurements, and burns caused by direct attacks. Spinal injuries have caused complete paralysis, while brain injuries have impaired cognitive and behavioral functions. Eye injuries have led to partial or complete blindness, restricting children’s ability to learn and participate in daily activities.
These injuries are not just physical; they leave profound psychological and social scars that hinder children’s recovery and ability to live with dignity. The amputation rate among children in Gaza is the highest recorded in any modern conflict, leaving lifelong impacts on their daily lives and futures.
Arbitrary detentions and torture
The report also documents the arbitrary detention of Gaza’s children, who are subjected to inhumane and brutal torture. This includes intimidation with police dogs, binding, and blindfolding for extended periods before being transferred to detention centers lacking basic human dignity.
During detention, children face severe physical and psychological torture, such as brutal beatings, extinguishing cigarettes on their bodies, forcing them to stand in painful positions, and depriving them of sleep and food. These practices leave lasting psychological effects, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, severely hindering their ability to build stable futures.
Depriving children of livable conditions
The third act of genocide outlined in the report involves subjecting children to living conditions designed to destroy them physically over time. Israel has deliberately imposed such conditions on Gaza’s population, including children.
Israeli officials have openly declared their intent, with former Army Minister Yoav Gallant stating, “Gaza will never return to what it was. We will eliminate everything, and the situation will be completely reversed.”
Since October 7, 2023 Israel has subjected Gaza’s population to unbearable conditions amounting to slow death.
Starvation
The systematic use of starvation as a weapon of war is among the most devastating strategies documented in the report. Children in Gaza are denied essential medical treatment and humanitarian aid, while Israel has deliberately caused the spread of diseases and epidemics by collapsing the healthcare infrastructure.
This deprivation disproportionately affects children under five, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, who are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Chronic malnutrition stunts physical and mental growth, while acute malnutrition leads to wasting and increased risk of death.
Since the onset of Israel’s starvation policy, 27 children have died. Many of these cases go unrecorded due to the collapse of healthcare services.
Education denied
Israel’s systematic targeting of educational facilities has deprived over 625,000 students of their right to education. Schools have been destroyed, and thousands of students and teachers killed. By November 9, 2024, 12,700 students and 750 teachers and school staff have died. More than 92.9% of schools in Gaza have been damaged, with 84.6% requiring reconstruction or significant repairs.
Schools have been closed to 625,000 students, depriving 39,000 of the opportunity to take their high school graduation exams (Tawjihi), and preventing 45,000 six-year-old children from starting their first school year.
UN experts have warned that the destruction of Gaza’s educational infrastructure poses a direct threat to Palestinian knowledge and identity, amidst a complete lack of safety. Even with an immediate ceasefire and reconstruction, students are expected to lose two academic years, with losses potentially reaching five years if the conflict continues until 2026.
Despite efforts to launch virtual education, these initiatives face major challenges due to ongoing displacement, lack of safety, electricity and internet shortages, and widespread hunger. Additionally, one million children are suffering severe psychological and social effects, such as trauma, the loss of loved ones, and chronic anxiety. These challenges threaten their development and behavior, increasing the risk of school dropouts, forced labor, and early marriage.