Why it matters:
This year’s Palestinian Children’s Day unfolded amid of one the deadliest wars in Gaza’s history. According to Hamas, Israel’s ongoing military campaign has left nearly 19,000 children dead, over 1,100 arrested, and tens of thousands orphaned or facing starvation, malnutrition, and disease. Hamas argues these actions amount to crimes against humanity.
The big picture:
Hamas accuses the Israeli military of systematically targeting children through practices including using them as human shields, denying them access to education, and attempting to erase their national identity, especially in occupied areas like the West Bank, Al-Quds, and inside Israel’s 1948 borders.
The statement paints a picture of ongoing and deeply rooted policies aimed at destabilizing Palestinian youth and future generations.
What they're saying:
“The crimes committed by the occupation against the children of Palestine, deliberate killing, arrest, torture, and the denial of basic human rights, are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and cannot be subject to a statute of limitations,” Hamas said in the statement.
“We demand the prosecution of Israeli officials as war criminals and their inclusion in the UN's ‘List of Shame’ for crimes against children.”
Key points:
- More than 19,000 children were killed in Gaza, over 1,100 were arrested, and around 39,000 lost one or both parents.
- International silence has emboldened Israeli actions, and Hamas calls it a stain on human rights institutions.
- The group calls on the UN, governments, and human rights organizations to prosecute Israeli leaders and publicly expose their crimes.
- The statement closes by asserting that Palestinian children remain defiant, holding tightly to their history, identity, and resistance, rejecting the notion that memory fades with time.
Go deeper:
In a tribute to the children lost, Hamas honored their memory as symbols of resilience and sacrifice.
The statement highlighted how their innocence and spirit helped shape key moments in Palestinian uprisings.
It also offered prayers for the wounded and reiterated the movement’s long-standing message. Palestinian children, despite their wounds, remain unbroken and unforgotten.
Hossein Vaez
