UN Warns Palestinian Children Increasingly Endangered by Restrictions on Humanitarian Organisations
The United Nations (UN) has issued a strong warning regarding the condition of children in the occupied Palestinian territories, who are now in an increasingly unprotected position. This comes as humanitarian and human rights advocacy groups are forced to limit their operations in the region.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, in an official statement released on Monday, highlighted that many civil society and aid organisations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are being labelled as terrorist entities by pro-Israel groups and certain politicians. This labelling is viewed as a systematic effort that deprives Palestinian children of vital protection.
For more than three decades, these organisations have played a crucial role in defending the rights of Palestinian children. Their tasks range from providing accompaniment in Israeli military courts to documenting serious violations committed by security forces.
“Without their presence, Palestinian children will become increasingly unprotected, and the risk of violations against their rights will continue without punishment for the perpetrators (impunity),” the committee’s statement read, issued through the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The report also detailed various tactics used to delegitimise human rights groups, making it nearly impossible for humanitarian organisations to operate safely or provide assistance to families in need. The UN Committee urged the international community to hold Israeli authorities accountable for attacks against human rights defenders and demanded the lifting of operational restrictions.
In February this year, 17 international aid groups petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court. They demanded permission to continue working in the Gaza Strip and other occupied territories to prevent a total halt of life-saving aid planned by the local government.
“Despite facing enormous risks and limited resources, child rights defenders continue to stand with Palestinian families in extraordinarily dangerous conditions. They must be protected, not punished,” the UN Committee stressed in closing its statement.