Unrwa chief: 'Gaza has become a graveyard for children'
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), has said that despite the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the rights of Palestinian children "are violated day in, day out".
In a post on X to mark World Children's Day, he said: "Gaza has become a graveyard for children. They are being killed, injured, forced to flee & deprived of safety, learning & play. They have been robbed of their childhood + are on the verge of becoming a lost generation as they lose another school year."
He added that in the occupied West Bank, 170 children have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023, while others "are losing their childhood in Israeli detention centres".
"The occupied Palestinian territory is no place for children. They deserve better, they deserve peace & justice + a better future," Lazzarini concluded.
Three decades ago, the world made a commitment to respect & uphold children’s rights by adopting the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) November 20, 2024
Today, the rights of Palestinian children are violated day in, day out. #Gaza has become a graveyard for children. They are being killed,… pic.twitter.com/XeRJSKDJbq