The evidence for atrocities in Gaza, especially in regards to children, is increasingly alarming, while the war shows no signs of dissipating. The needs of the children in Gaza are overwhelming, with Save the Children’s Director for Palestine Jason Lee reporting unimaginable conditions on the streets, with growing malnutrition rates and devastating effects on mental health, as well as life-long physical tolls on the body. UN reports contain testimonies of children, as well as hospitals and aid workers, being targeted in military situations, prompting international calls to the ruling Likud party to immediately put an end to this practice. The damage to the children of Gaza is incalculable, but the following organizations are on the ground doing whatever they can to help: Save the Children Defense for Children Palestine UNICEF UNRWA

1. 01
"If there is a hell on earth, it is
the lives of children in Gaza"
said António Guterres,
Secretary-General of the United
Nations in his opening remarks
in May 2021 at the general
assembly.
Unfortunately, the situation for children
in Gaza has deteriorated even further
with human rights groups describing
Gaza as the deadliest place on earth to
be a child. Gaza has become a
graveyard for thousands of children
since the conflict between Israel and
Gaza began in October 2023.
Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Director
for the occupied Palestinian territory,
recently stated that, “Children in Gaza
were already living with unimaginable
distress following 16 years of blockade
and successive escalations in violence.
This war and the physical and mental
scars it is leaving on children is further
April 12, 2024
By: Katrina Sriranpong

2. 02
eroding their resilience.” He
argues it is unacceptable
that any child should have
to endure the hardship that
those in Gaza have suffered.
Children are forced to walk
along the streets riddled
with dead bodies in order to
search for food and sleep on
the streets in the open air
without basic food or clean
water. Israel’s blockage of
food and medicine is
causing detrimental
physical and mental harm,
which could last a lifetime.
Save the Children states that
at least 17 children have died
of malnutrition in north Gaza,
but the real figure is
estimated to be much
higher. Even before October
2023, children in Gaza lived
under extreme conditions of
cyclical escalations of
violence resulting in poor
mental health.
Children Targeted by Israeli Snipers in Gaza
In a recent article published by the Guardian,
Dr. Fozia Alvi, a Canadian doctor who worked
in the intensive care unit in southern Gaza,
observed two young children that had sniper
shots to the brain. They were only seven or
eight years old. These were not the only
children the Canadian doctor treated who
were targeted by Israeli soldiers. She
describes treating children with direct sniper
shots to the head and the chest. They were
small children. Other doctors provided similar
accounts of the treatment of children and the
elderly with single bullet wounds to the head
or chest. These were obviously not
combatants. The doctors suspected they
were directly targeted by Israeli troops based
on the wounds suffered.
In mid-February, a group of United Nations
experts stated that, “We are shocked by
reports of the deliberate targeting and
extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and
children in places where they sought refuge,
or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly
holding white pieces of cloth when they were
killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces.

3. 03
Unfortunately, Israeli and
international human rights
groups have long
documented Israel’s history
of shooting unarmed
Palestinians, including
children, in Gaza and the
West Bank using snipers or
drones. More recently,
Haaretz reported that Israel
routinely fires on civilians in
areas that the military has
designated as “combat
zones” and there is no notice
or clear boundary when the
zone begins nor ends.
Dr. Vanita Gupta, a doctor
from New York City Hospital,
volunteered in Gaza in
January and described
treating three children and
their families who were
severely wounded. The
families were returning to
their homes as the Israeli
army had withdrawn.
Unfortunately, the snipers
stayed behind in the area
and targeted the family and
their children when they
tried to return to their
homes.
Three of the children had bullet wounds to
the head and died at the hospital.
In Gaza City, a three year old toddler was
also shot outside his home when he tried to
buy fruit with his cousin, a 20 year old
medical school student, who was also killed.
The shooting was witnessed by the father,
who said they were targeted by an Israeli
sniper. The shooting was caught on video
and shows the pair lying together as one
tried to lift his head, but was shot again and
died. There are countless eyewitness
accounts of the targeting of civilians,
including children.
Dr. Osaid Alser argued that it was often
possible to distinguish sniper shots. “When
it’s a sniper, usually it’s a bigger bullet, which
causes significantly more damage and has
more shock-wave energy as compared to a
smaller rifle or a pistol. If it’s a sniper, it may
cause amputation of the limb because it will
cause damage to the vascular structure –
nerves, bone, soft tissue, everything,” he said.
Defense for Children International Palestine
said that over the years there had been a
“clear pattern of Israeli forces targeting
Palestinian children with deadly force in
situations where the children posed no threat
to soldiers”. One of the most disturbing

4. 04
cases is that of an Israeli
captain shooting a 13 year
old Palestinian girl in 2004
simply because she crossed
into a security zone. She did
not pose a threat and his
own soldiers even said she
was a “little girl” who was
“scared to death.” The Israeli
captain emptied an entire
magazine of his automatic
rifle into the 13 year old child.
The captain was cleared of
any wrongdoing by the
military court despite
internal notes indicating
otherwise. This type of
impunity and lack of
accountability demonstrates
the system will always
protect Israeli soldiers.
Decades of Legal Impunity
all parties are required to protect civilian
objects and civilians, which includes people
who are no longer taking part in hostilities.
International humanitarian law is non-
reciprocal, which means that the violation of
the law by one side does not justify the
opposing side from violating their own
obligations.
Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in
Gaza since October 2023, including more than
13,000 children. This does not include the over
12,000 people who are missing and are
presumed dead. The killing of so many
civilians and humanitarian aid workers since
October 2023 demonstrates that Israel is
violating the principle of proportionality and
distinction under international humanitarian
law. The principle of proportionality requires
that the harm caused to civilians due to a
military attack shall not be excessive when
compared to the military advantage
expected to be gained. Israel has engaged in
disproportionate attacks, which is considered
a violation of international humanitarian law
and is potentially committing a war crime.
International humanitarian law also requires
parties to abide by the principle of distinction
Under international
humanitarian law, which
applies during times of war,

5. 05
to ensure their targets are
military and not civilian. Of
course, attacks on
humanitarian aid workers,
doctors, journalists, children,
and civilian objects are
considered war crimes.
When discussing the
situation in Gaza, Amnesty
International has stated that
indiscriminate attacks or
direct attacks on civilians or
civilian objects must be
investigated as war crimes.
Forensic Architecture, a
research agency based at
the University of London
investigating human rights
violations around the world,
revealed that hospitals in
Gaza were being
systematically targeted by
Israel. Israel argues that
hospitals are being used by
Hamas, but has failed to
provide sufficient public
evidence.
srael has deliberately been
using starvation as a
weapon of war, which
affects innocent Palestinians
trapped in Gaza such as children and their
families. Palestinians in the north of Gaza are
facing catastrophic levels of hunger. People
have resorted to eating grass, animal feed,
and pet food in order to survive. There is an
increasing number of children suffering from
malnutrition. The blockade imposed by Israel
has caused a large backlog of trucks eagerly
waiting to enter Gaza. Israel has routinely
blocked the entry of vital medical equipment
such as ventilators and life-saving medicine
as well as crutches, food, and anesthesia.
Recently, they have also blocked animal feed
as they are aware Gazans are eating it to
survive. According to UNICEF, Israel has
blocked the entry of sleeping bags simply
because they were the wrong colour. UNICEF
stated that this type of “toying” with basic
and essential goods demonstrates their
intent in engaging in collective punishment
of the whole population, which is a war crime.
Doctors Without Borders and other
humanitarian groups have repeatedly called
for Israeli authorities to lift the inhumane
siege and allow humanitarian assistance to
enter Gaza in an unhindered way. Allowing
aid via land crossings is the most efficient
method to distribute humanitarian aid to
children and their families.
Recently, seven aid workers with World
Central Kitchen were killed in successive

6. 06
drone strikes on their three
vehicles carrying aid to the
north of Gaza. The three
vehicles were clearly marked
and their movement was
coordinated with the
approval of Israeli Defence
Forces (IDF). The Telegraph
published an article
detailing how the most
senior Israeli commander
involved in the air strike
wanted to
the officer. In other words, the target of the
airstrikes were not Hamas, but aid workers
in an attempt to deter humanitarian
supplies into Gaza City.
Israel has acted with impunity in
committing violations of international
humanitarian law and violated the principle
of proportionality, distinction, and
precaution under the laws of war. Civilians
must always be protected. The use of
starvation as collective punishment for the
atrocities which
block humanitarian supplies
into Gaza. The investigation
showed the officer signed a
letter to Israel’s War Cabinet
demanding that the territory
be deprived of aid. The letter,
dated January 20, implored
them to “do everything in
your power” not to allow
“humanitarian supplies”
inside Gaza City. Mr.
Mansfield, head of Nexus
Chambers and one of
Britain’s leading lawyers,
argues the document is
plainly relevant to the
particular state of mind of
occurred on October 7, 2023 is simply
revenge against a whole population and
constitutes a war crime.
Doctors, journalists, humanitarian aid
workers, and unarmed civilians have been
targeted and killed. Over 200 humanitarian
aid workers have been killed in Gaza.
President Biden and other Western allies of
Israel have not changed their policy of
support for Israel despite the overwhelming
evidence of human rights violations by
international human rights groups. For
decades, Israel has seen no consequence
to their continued violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law.

7. 07
Save the Children
Defense for Children Palestine
UNICEF
UNRWA
Organizations to Assist
Children in Gaza
Thirty years ago, the world
failed to stop the Rwandan
genocide. Despite world
leaders having the power to
do so, there was not enough
political will to stop the
genocide. The situation is
similar today. However, the
digital landscape has
changed. We are again
presented with the
opportunity to stop a
genocide, which is being
shown live on social media.
The war on Gaza is more
than eliminating Hamas, but
rather to satisfy Israel’s
hunger for Palestinian land
and resources. Amnesty
International has described
“alarming signs of genocide
in Gaza.” Please consider
donating to the following
organizations working to
alleviate the suffering of
children and their families in
Gaza.