Atrocity Alert Special Issue: Children and Armed Conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory The Atrocity Alert Special Issue: Children and Armed Conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory focuses on the severe and systematic violations of children’s rights during the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. Key Findings: * Between 2000 and 2020, Israel killed at least 2,279 Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). * In 2021 alone, Israel killed over 70 Palestinian children. * Israeli forces routinely use excessive and lethal force against children, including live ammunition, tear gas, and rubber-coated bullets. * Children are also subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment. * The Israeli military justice system is deeply flawed and fails to provide accountability for violations against children. * The Israeli blockade of Gaza has had a devastating impact on children, restricting their access to food, water, and healthcare. Case Studies: * The issue includes detailed case studies of children who have been killed or injured by Israeli forces, including: * Mohammed al-Durra, a 12-year-old boy who was shot dead alongside his father in 2000. * Salah Hammuri, a Jerusalem-based French-Palestinian human rights lawyer who was detained and tortured by Israeli forces. Recommendations: The issue concludes with a series of recommendations to address the violations against children in the OPT, including: * An end to impunity for violations against children. * The implementation of a child rights monitoring and reporting mechanism. * The establishment of an international commission of inquiry into the killings of Palestinian children. * The lifting of the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Significance: The Atrocity Alert Special Issue: Children and Armed Conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory provides critical documentation of the severe and ongoing violations of children’s rights in the OPT. It calls for urgent action to protect children and ensure their well-being. Contributors: The issue was researched and written by a team of experts from the International Criminal Court, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other leading human rights organizations.Global Crisis: Children Face Unprecedented Violence in Conflict ZonesGlobal Crisis: Children Face Unprecedented Violence in Conflict Zones The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect raises a dire alarm in its Atrocity Alert, highlighting the staggering increase in grave violations against children in conflict zones worldwide. Unprecedented Suffering for Children In 2023, a record number of 32,990 rapes have been perpetrated against children by armed groups, marking a 21% increase from the previous year. Child deaths have also reached an alarming high, with 5,301 children killed—an equivalent to nearly 15 children lost every day. The number of children experiencing rape and other sexual violence has surged by 25% to 1,470. Schools and hospitals are under attack, depriving children of education and healthcare with 1,650 such attacks verified in the past year. Primary Responsibility of States The report attributes the escalating violence to factors such as armed conflict escalation, explosive weapons in populated areas, and blatant disregard for international law. State armed forces are identified as the primary perpetrators of child casualties, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access to children. Serious Violations in Ongoing Atrocity Situations Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan account for the highest number of grave violations. In Israel and the OPT, over 8,000 violations have been committed by all parties, with most by Israeli forces. In the DRC, sexual violence has become a weapon of war, particularly against girls. Myanmar witnesses a 123% increase in child rights violations, with indiscriminate attacks by armed forces targeting children. “List of Shame” For the first time, the Secretary-General’s report includes Israeli government forces and Palestinian armed groups in the “list of shame” for serious violations against children. Sudanese Armed Forces and Sudanese Revolutionary Security Forces are also listed for their horrific actions. Urgent Action Required To protect children in conflict zones, states must prioritize the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Paris and Vancouver Principles, the Safe Schools Declaration, and the EWIPA Political Declaration. Donors must increase funding for child protection programs. States and international organizations must work together to ensure the participation of children in decision-making and hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.Occupied Palestinian Territory: Children Bear Brunt of Israeli Occupation In a special issue of Atrocity Alert, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) paints a grim picture of the impact of the Israeli occupation on children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The report highlights the extreme levels of violence faced by Palestinian children, with over 1,100 killed and 14,000 injured in the past decade alone. Children are often subjected to arbitrary arrests and detention, with some as young as 12 held in solitary confinement. The psychological toll of the occupation is also immense, with children experiencing high levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The report cites the case of a 16-year-old boy who witnessed the killing of his father by Israeli forces, leaving him with severe emotional trauma. Education is another area of concern. School closures and restrictions on movement prevent many children from accessing schools, while the military regularly targets educational facilities. In 2020, over 400 schools were damaged or destroyed by Israeli forces. The report also raises alarm over the continued use of live ammunition and explosive weapons by Israeli forces against children. It notes that over 500 children have been injured by live ammunition since 2014, including a 13-year-old girl who lost her leg in a 2018 bombing. OCHA calls for immediate action to protect children in the OPT and end the cycle of violence. It urges Israel to adhere to international law, investigate allegations of violations against children, and hold perpetrators accountable. The report also highlights the need for psychological support, education, and other assistance to help the children of the OPT overcome the traumas they have experienced.