Rebuilding hope, protecting rights and seeking accountability for Palestinian children

- Now the Palestinian people hope to stop the genocide and crimes today before tomorrow. They look forward to stopping the killing, destruction and deprivation of human rights, says Rafto laureate 2023 General Secretary of Defense for Children International – Palestine Khaled Quzmar.

Accountability

The war on Gaza was a war on children, stripping them of safety and a future. International efforts must prioritize documenting the war crimes against Palestinian children, monitoring and collecting testimonies on violations to seek justice and ensuring accountability for crimes committed.

- All criminals, politicians and military, must hold accountable to ensure that this will not be repeated again in occupied Palestine and everywhere, says human rights lawyer and the General Secretary of Defense for Children International – Palestine Khaled Quzmar.

The atrocities that affect Palestinian children in Gaza and at The West Bank calls for the international community to keep the plight of Palestinian children at the forefront of human rights discussions. Only then can we ensure that their voices are heard, and their needs remain a priority.

Pressing needs in the aftermath

The war has left countless Palestinian children traumatized, displaced, and vulnerable. Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCIP) has highlighted the dire circumstances many children face.

The most pressing needs identified by DCIP include:

1. Basic needs: Immediate access to food, clothing, and providing suitable tents for housing to protect children and women from the cold and rain.

1. Education: Providing education for children who lost a full school year, numbering more than 600,000 children. Schools must be rebuilt and adequately resourced to ensure that children can return to learning environments that are safe and supportive.
2. Search for the missing: Searching the rubble for the missing, estimated at more than 11,000 people, including about 4,000 children.
3. Treatment for patients: Providing treatment for patients and the wounded due to hospitals being out of service.
4. Enhanced psychosocial support: Many children have experienced severe trauma from the violence. Expanded mental health services, including counselling and debriefing sessions, are vital to help them process their experiences and regain a sense of stability.
5. Access to legal services: Many minors face detention and legal challenges, necessitating robust legal aid to protect their rights.

Hopes for the future

Quzmar and his colleagues has been operating in Gaza for more than 20 years, but since the war on Gaza began, their colleagues in Gaza were forcibly displaced with their families from their homes to other areas based on orders from the Israeli army.

DCIP remains committed to work for Palestinian children’s rights and to monitor and document violations against children, ensuring their stories are heard and that accountability is pursued.

- Stop the impunity and the double standards. Human Rights for everyone everywhere without discrimination, says Khaled Quzmar, General Secretary of Defense for Children International – Palestine.

Call to action

The international community has a pivotal role to play in ensuring the ceasefire marks not just an end to violence but the beginning of a comprehensive effort to rebuild and support the lives of Palestinian children. From providing immediate humanitarian aid to addressing the root causes of the conflict, this moment demands collective responsibility and action. Only then can the promise of a better future for Palestinian children—and all children in conflict zones—be realized.