Being a Child in Palestine

Being born as a Palestinian child means stepping immediately into the shadow of occupation. This is not merely about living in a particular geography; it is about clinging to life within a systematic pattern of erasure. Israel’s occupation policies and settler terrorism target not only the physical but also the psychological and social existence of Palestinian children. This siege, stretching from East Jerusalem to the Gaza Strip, deprives children of their most fundamental human rights—life, education, health, and freedom—and simultaneously seeks to systematically eliminate the future of a people.

Palestinian children living under Israeli occupation are worlds away from an ordinary childhood. Their childhood is surrounded by the weapons of settlers, the tremors of bombardments, and the metal detectors of checkpoints. Universal rights such as access to education, the freedom to play, and the ability to receive medical care are exceptions, luxuries, and often illusions in this geography.

In the Gaza Strip, the ongoing blockade and military operations have resulted in the deaths of 59,921 people and injuries to 145,233 since Israel launched its attacks on October 7, 2023. ^【1】  These numbers are not merely statistics; they represent thousands of lives extinguished before ever having the chance to explore the world. Israel’s systematic aggression clearly reflects an intent to commit genocide.

^{A Child in Gaza (}pixabay⁾

Although the right to freedom for Palestinian children is guaranteed under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, in practice this right has no meaning whatsoever. Although Israel claims to be a party to the convention, it systematically prosecutes Palestinian children from the age of 12 in military courts. Israel seeks to break Palestinian children through physical violence, threats, isolation, and abuse.^【2】 

As confirmed by UNICEF, these practices are the product of a systematic and institutionalized structure. Between 2016 and 2022, three-quarters of detained children suffered physical violence, and 97% were separated from their parents.^【3】 What else can this be called if not torture?

At this point, the truth is clear: Israel is openly flouting international law in its treatment of children. The world, however, is watching silently.

^{A Child Amid Destruction (}pixabay⁾

Access to education in Palestine is undermined not only by material shortages but also by direct political interference from Israel. Checkpoints, barriers, and especially schools destroyed in the West Bank have made it nearly impossible for children to reach their classrooms. Over 700,000 students have been deprived of education^【4】 , and hundreds of schools have been converted into shelters.

Palestinian children face severe difficulties not only in reaching schools but also in accessing even the most basic healthcare services. The bombing of medical facilities, restrictions on the movement of healthcare workers, and delays at checkpoints have left small bodies caught between life and death.

When every second counts in emergency medical situations, a child’s death due to a soldier’s refusal to grant passage has become a normalized tragedy.^【5】  And the perpetrators of this tragedy are known. Those who remain silent are accomplices.

Most Palestinian children raised without security are struggling to cope with severe psychological trauma. Can children constantly exposed to the sounds of explosions, news of death, loss of family members, and pervasive fear possibly hold onto hope for the future? Of course not. This is the deliberate construction of a collective mental collapse of a people.

^{A Child in Gaza (}pixabay⁾

The systematic targeting of Palestinian children is not accidental; it is a strategic choice. The goal behind this choice is to construct a generation stripped of hope and detached from resistance. This aggression against children is not only an assault on the present but also an attempt to erase Palestine’s future. Yet Israel does not realize that in doing so, it is strengthening us. Alhamdulillah.

Israel’s aggressive policies can no longer be concealed behind excuses such as “security” or “legitimate defense.” The truth is clear and unambiguous: There is an occupation, there is a genocide, and there is a systematic policy of killing children. And the world, by closing its eyes to this reality, is complicit in one of the greatest shames in history.