Arab League urges international action to safeguard Palestinian children

Amr Yehia , Sunday 19 Nov 2023

Ahead of World Children's Day on 20 November, the League of Arab States voiced profound concern over the "distressing plight of children in the Gaza Strip."

 Arab League
File photo: Arab League foreign ministers meet during an annual meeting in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. AP

 

The organization said it appeals to the international community to fulfil their obligations to safeguard Palestinian children amidst ongoing atrocities, genocide, and heinous crimes committed by the Israeli army, which has already claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinian children.

The league called on the international community to enforce resolutions and laws protecting children as outlined in the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict (1974), Declaration on the Rights of the Child (1959), International Conventions on the Rights of the Child (1989), and optional protocols to the convention.

It also condemned the "inhumane and unconscionable acts of violence perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, which threaten their very existence and future."

The league reiterated that every Palestinian child is entitled to live a life that is free, dignified, secure, and peaceful on their own land, devoid of fear, displacement, and all forms of violence. It also emphasized that the Palestinian children have the absolute right to protection under occupation.

Acknowledging the urgency of the situation, the pan-Arab organization urged joint and resolute efforts to prevent further loss of innocent lives among Palestinian children.

In commemoration of World Children’s Day, the league will release a video documenting the arduous hardships and challenges faced by Palestinian children in Gaza.

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