Palestine Children Council- Gaza Strip held a press conference in front of Naser Hospital in Khan Younis on the occasion of the World Children’s Day marking 23 November each year; the date when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

During the conference, Mays ‘Abdel Hadi, a young girl and Palestinian Children’s Council President, presented an overview on children’s situation in the Gaza Strip, tackling the Israeli atrocities over 411 days of ongoing aggression and genocide against the Strip’s population that have collected the lives of 17,492 children with 3000 others still missing under the rubble of their houses after the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) denied Civil Defense crews from retrieving and properly burying their bodies. Moreover, many other children fell victim to starvation and lack of food and medicine.  ‘Abdel Hadi added, “Children are the ultimate victims of the Israeli aggression and genocide compounded by starvation, forced displacement, lack of shelter, deprivation of education and other fundamental human rights.”

Lama Abu Leilah, the Council’s Deputy President, talked about children’s life in displacement camps and tents after their houses have been destroyed and they have been forcibly displacement fleeing indiscriminate bombardment from one place to another. She also added that while living in tents, children are stripped of all sense of humanity lacking privacy, safety, clean water and healthy food, in disregard for humanity and best interests of child.

Children delivered several messages. The first addressed the UN Secretary General, urging him to mobilize efforts and exert pressure on the Israeli occupation to impose an immediate ceasefire, restore their fundamental rights, provide them protection and allow them to live safely to achieve their dream of enjoying a future filled with security and hope that has been imprisoned and trapped by fear and destruction. In a further message, children thanked all countries and organizations who have supported the demands of the Palestinian people to enjoy their fundamental rights materialized in South Africa’s case against Israel before the International Court of Justice to stop the genocide.  The children also sent another message to countries supporting the Israeli occupation, particularly the United States, wondering how many deaths and examinations it would force the politicians of these countries to stop this ongoing genocide committed with their weapons and other supplies. The children called on these countries to exert pressure on their governments to stop their support and supplies to the Israeli occupation.

It should be noted that the Council’s children previously met with 2 UNCIEF representatives in the Gaza Strip and handed them a message to the UN Secretary General, urging them to mobilize all efforts to provide protection and humanitarian relief aid for children.

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The Palestine Children’s Council – Gaza Strip was established in 2021 and supervised by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in partnership with Save the Children. The voluntary council includes children (12-17 years old) representing the five Gaza Strip Governorates. it aims at promoting Palestinian children’s community participation in all their issues and shedding light on child’s situation in the Gaza Strip and improving it.