More than 1,000 Gazan children suffer permanent disabilities
Defense for Children International's (DCI) Palestine office released a report indicating that over 1,000 children suffered permanently disability as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza last summer. The DCI Palestinian office independently verified the deaths of 547 Palestinian children, 535 of them as a direct result of Israeli attacks. Nearly 68 percent of the children killed by Israeli forces were 12 years old or younger. "Children were killed in their homes by Israeli missiles, while sheltering in schools by high-explosive Israeli artillery shells, and in the streets by Israeli drone-fired missiles and artillery shells, as they attempted to escape the onslaught with their families," report said. Also evidence and testimonies collected by the DCI show that there was no safe place for children in Gaza during the Israeli assault. The DCI is an independent grassroots, human rights-based non-governmental organization that has been promoting and protecting the human rights of children on a global, regional, national and local level for over 35 years, dedicated to ensuring an ongoing, practical, systematic and concerted international action as articulated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
According to a report by the global children's charity, Save the Children, 551 children were killed during the Israeli attack, and an estimated 1,500 lost their parents. According to the charity, the majority of the children, up to 75 percent, show signs of severe emotional distress, including high levels of bed-wetting and nightmares. Meanwhile, 89 percent of parents reported that their children suffer consistent feelings of fear, and more than 70 percent of children said they worry about more Israeli aggression.
Ahed Atef Bakr, 10, Zakaria Ahed Bakr, 11, Mohamed Ramez Bakr, 10, and Ismael Mohamed Bakr, 9, became symbols of the Israeli aggression against children. The four children were hit and killed by an Israeli shell while playing on a Gaza beach last summer. The attack was witnessed by scores of foreign journalists who reported the tragic deaths. The shells were fired from an Israeli naval gunboat in the middle of the day at a vacated area along a beach, making it hard not to notice the four children who were rushing to seek shelter after hearing the first shell striking. Ahmed Abu Hassera, 22, who witnessed the attack said: "The kids were playing football on the beach. They were all under the age of 15. When the first shell hit the land, they ran away, but another shell hit them all. It looked as if the shells were chasing them."
According to a UNICEF report, the 50-day conflict in Gaza last year saw 564 children killed along with 2,956 Palestinians. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) reported that 1,226 Palestinian's under the age of 15 were taken into custody by Israeli forces. According to the PLO, 200 of them are still in prison. The number of arrests of children in Palestine grew 87 percent compared with 2011, the PLO said.
During the attacks on Gaza in 2014, more than 2,200 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed and over 11,000 Palestinians were injured. According to the UN and Palestinian officials, 73 Israelis, the vast majority of whom were military personnel, were killed. More than 500,000 Palestinians were displaced in the conflict, the UN said. Another finding was that at least 100,000 Gazans became homeless. The Gaza Health Ministry said that 2,310 Palestinians were killed, 70 percent of them civilians. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 65 percent of casualties were civilians. But the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that 2,125 Palestinians were killed and 36 percent of them were civilians. According to Israeli officials, 44 percent of casualties were militants and 20 percent were males aged 16 to 50.
With regard to Israel's 2014 Operation Protective Edge on Gaza, an independent UN commission of inquiry released a report in June that found evidence that Israel committed war crimes during the attacks on the Gaza Strip in 2014. The report accuses Israel that it potentially breached international law in multiple areas in the conduct of its war, including the precision targeting of residential homes, excessive use of artillery in civilian areas and the loosening of the rules of engagement. The report said that there was a huge increase in firepower during the conflict in 2014 with over 6,000 airstrikes carried out by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and about 50,000 tank and artillery shells fired.
According to a report by the global children's charity, Save the Children, 551 children were killed during the Israeli attack, and an estimated 1,500 lost their parents. According to the charity, the majority of the children, up to 75 percent, show signs of severe emotional distress, including high levels of bed-wetting and nightmares. Meanwhile, 89 percent of parents reported that their children suffer consistent feelings of fear, and more than 70 percent of children said they worry about more Israeli aggression.
Ahed Atef Bakr, 10, Zakaria Ahed Bakr, 11, Mohamed Ramez Bakr, 10, and Ismael Mohamed Bakr, 9, became symbols of the Israeli aggression against children. The four children were hit and killed by an Israeli shell while playing on a Gaza beach last summer. The attack was witnessed by scores of foreign journalists who reported the tragic deaths. The shells were fired from an Israeli naval gunboat in the middle of the day at a vacated area along a beach, making it hard not to notice the four children who were rushing to seek shelter after hearing the first shell striking. Ahmed Abu Hassera, 22, who witnessed the attack said: "The kids were playing football on the beach. They were all under the age of 15. When the first shell hit the land, they ran away, but another shell hit them all. It looked as if the shells were chasing them."
According to a UNICEF report, the 50-day conflict in Gaza last year saw 564 children killed along with 2,956 Palestinians. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) reported that 1,226 Palestinian's under the age of 15 were taken into custody by Israeli forces. According to the PLO, 200 of them are still in prison. The number of arrests of children in Palestine grew 87 percent compared with 2011, the PLO said.
During the attacks on Gaza in 2014, more than 2,200 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed and over 11,000 Palestinians were injured. According to the UN and Palestinian officials, 73 Israelis, the vast majority of whom were military personnel, were killed. More than 500,000 Palestinians were displaced in the conflict, the UN said. Another finding was that at least 100,000 Gazans became homeless. The Gaza Health Ministry said that 2,310 Palestinians were killed, 70 percent of them civilians. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 65 percent of casualties were civilians. But the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that 2,125 Palestinians were killed and 36 percent of them were civilians. According to Israeli officials, 44 percent of casualties were militants and 20 percent were males aged 16 to 50.
With regard to Israel's 2014 Operation Protective Edge on Gaza, an independent UN commission of inquiry released a report in June that found evidence that Israel committed war crimes during the attacks on the Gaza Strip in 2014. The report accuses Israel that it potentially breached international law in multiple areas in the conduct of its war, including the precision targeting of residential homes, excessive use of artillery in civilian areas and the loosening of the rules of engagement. The report said that there was a huge increase in firepower during the conflict in 2014 with over 6,000 airstrikes carried out by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and about 50,000 tank and artillery shells fired.
Last Update: August 26, 2015 20:34