Arabic version: الأمم المتحدة تحذر من زيادة ضعف الأطفال الفلسطينيين

The United Nations has warned about the crackdown on child rights defenders in occupied Palestinian territories, leaving children in the West Bank and Gaza more vulnerable than ever before. This situation leaves many children without the necessary protections, according to a statement from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

According to Al Jazeera, the UN highlighted that many civil society and aid organizations have been labelled “terrorists” by pro-Israel groups or politicians, further complicating their efforts to assist vulnerable populations. The absence of these organizations, which have historically played a vital role in defending children’s rights, raises concerns about the ongoing violations of those rights.

The statement, issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), detailed the various tactics employed to delegitimise these human rights groups. These tactics include military raids, travel bans, personal financial sanctions, threats of arrest, destruction of records, and even threats of secondary sanctions against partners who support their work, making it increasingly impossible for organizations to operate safely. The committee emphasized that without these defenders, Palestinian children are at an even greater risk of rights violations.

The committee urged the international community to hold Israeli authorities accountable for the attacks committed against Palestinian human rights defenders and called for the lifting of restrictions on humanitarian efforts. Despite facing significant risks, child rights defenders have continued to stand with Palestinian children and families in extraordinarily dangerous conditions, and the committee insisted that these advocates must be protected, not punished.