17-year-old Fawziya and her nine-month-old nephew, baby Mohammad. Six-month-old Ibrahim. Two-year-old Hoor and her pregnant mother.
These are just some of the Palestinian children Israeli forces have killed in the Gaza Strip since Monday. The death toll now stands at 32 children. Israeli forces have also killed at least 10 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank this week, including 16-year-old Rashid.
Palestinians are in crisis. As much as we are encouraged by worldwide solidarity and support, it is soul-crushing to know that Israeli forces have extinguished the futures of so many Palestinian children. And with violence escalating and families leaving their homes to seek shelter in U.N. schools, we fear the worst is yet to come.
Defense for Children International – Palestine is committed to documenting and exposing grave violations against Palestinian children. We share the stories of the Palestinian children who are killed and injured. These are difficult stories to read, and even more difficult for Palestinian families to experience.
Hamza Mahmoud Yassin Ali, 12, was struck by shrapnel from an Israeli drone-fired missile in Gaza City’s Shuja’iyya neighborhood around 1 p.m. on Tuesday and died on the next day.
A U.S.-sourced Israeli Apache attack helicopter killed Hamada Attia Abed al-Emour, 13, (left) and his cousin, Ammar Tayseer Mohammad al-Emour, 10, on Wednesday afternoon in Al-Fukharia village southeast of Khan Younis.
Israeli forces shot and killed Bashar Ahmad Ibrahim Samour, 17, on May 12 while he was farming his family’s land near the Gaza perimeter fence east of Khan Younis. Israeli forces deployed on the other side of the fence shot and killed Bashar around 10 a.m. He sustained two gunshot wounds to the right side of his chest.
We will continue to write with updates as our field researcher Mohammad in Gaza confirms details. He is working swiftly as casualties mount, all while considering what to tell his own three children and how to keep them safe.
“A state of hopelessness and helplessness afflicts me as a father,” Mohammad said.
“I try to reassure my children that the Israeli strikes will not reach us and that our home is safe. The presentation of the events in a reassuring manner is no longer valid, with the passage of time and the maturity of my children. During this current Israeli aggression against Gaza, because of the intense strikes, the terrifying sound of rockets, and the continuous shaking of our home, I find that presenting the facts in a reassuring manner is no longer convincing my children, especially in light of the state of fear and panic that we all suffer from.”
Palestinian parents across the Gaza Strip are facing the same devastating challenges as Mohammad. Please continue speaking out for Palestinian children and families while following Defense for Children International – Palestine’s reporting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and sharing widely with your community.
