RAMALLAH, Wednesday, June 28, 2023 (WAFA) – The State of Palestine is appalled by the decision of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to, once again, omit the Israeli occupation army and settler militias from the list of children’s rights violators, despite the fact that his reports detail the overwhelming evidence about Israel’s systemic violations of the rights of Palestinian children, today said the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
“Israel is a serial violator of Palestinian children’s rights. The evidence is clear and unequivocal. With full impunity, Israel, its occupying forces, and settler militias have killed and injured over 7000 Palestinian children over the past eight years alone. The occupying Power deliberately targets children and deprives them of their right to life. It detains and tortures children as young as 12 years old and deprives them of their basic rights to counsel and family visits. Relevant United Nations bodies and Special Procedures thoroughly document all these crimes and more. That is why they are included in the Secretary General’s reports every year,” it said.
“By his omission, the Secretary-General will embolden Israel to continue its unilateral and ludicrous denial of the applicability of international law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to Palestinian children, thus excusing its clear and well-defined legal obligations in this regard. This deliberate failure has alarming implications for impunity worldwide. It is inexcusable,” added the Foreign Ministry.
“Like all criminal actors, Israel attempts to offer lopsided interpretations of international law and conducts disinformation campaigns to justify its violations and crimes against Palestinian children. Such morally, legally, and politically corrupt tactics should not have been entrained.
“Instead, Israel and all violators of children’s rights must be held accountable for their violations. Willfully exempting Israel from facing consequences for its well-documented crimes is inconsistent with international law and resolutions that form the basis for the protection of children in armed conflict and accountability for violators. The protection of children in armed conflict is the Secretary-General’s foremost moral, legal and political obligation. Palestinian children cannot be the exception. That is unacceptable,” the Foreign Ministry concluded its statement.
