As media reports on Thursday reported a new evacuation order from the Israeli army for the Beit Hanoon and Beit Lahiya areas in the northern Gaza Strip, United Nations humanitarian agencies reported a high level of distress, agony and suffering among children in hospitals in the Palestinian enclave.

In an interview with UN News, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) describes the scale of destruction, suffering and displacement, which is “beyond what you can imagine by looking at a television screen or any digital platform”.

“The overall situation in Gaza is horrific and really striking. It seems surreal. It’s really out of this world,” UNICEF spokesperson Salim Oweis, who has been in the enclave for the past week, described from Deir el-Balah.

In hospitals, such as Al-Aqsa and the Nasser Compound, Salim Oweis describes “another level of agony and suffering of children, their parents and their families”. “The screams and the agony are very, very present”.

Behind these alarming images and this bleak picture described daily, the situation seems identical throughout the enclave, with an overcrowding of displaced people in sites and patients in hospitals.

In these medical facilities, “children are everywhere with injuries, several types of illnesses, chronic diseases, including cancer as well as other really complicated cases requiring specialized care that is not available in Gaza hospitals. You can see children and their families being treated in the corridors, waiting in the corridors,” detailed Mr. Oweis.

A cycle of endless displacement

For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicates that the incessant hostilities in Gaza and the recurring evacuation orders are leading to a seemingly endless cycle of displacement and making it increasingly difficult for populations to access the humanitarian aid they need to survive after 10 months of war. For example, when malnourished children are suddenly forced to flee, it is extremely difficult for humanitarian partners to monitor and follow up with necessary services and for displaced families to transport the malnutrition prevention and treatment supplies they need.

Repeated displacement – coupled with insecurity, access constraints and other challenges – also continues to hamper the early detection of children and women in need of nutrition services.

Protecting children from violence

Echoing this concern raised by OCHA, the head of UNICEF’s Middle East office on Thursday called for an “immediate de-escalation” to “preserve the lives and well-being of children” in the region.

In a statement on the impact of recent violence and attacks in the Middle East on children, Adele Khodr noted that every reported attack in the region, including the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, has brought “news of children among those killed.”

“In many countries across the Middle East, children today face a harsh reality more than ever: a life marked by uncertainty and violence. “The surge in violence and attacks has affected several countries in the region in recent months, taking a heavy toll on the lives of children,” said Ms. Khodr.

According to the UN agency, in less than a year, thousands of children have been killed in the State of Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and the occupied Golan Heights.

“Beyond these tragic deaths, many more boys and girls suffer injuries that have scarred their bodies forever and caused immeasurable damage to their mental health.” Many have lost their homes as a result of displacement and live in a constant state of uncertainty and fear.

Immediate de-escalation to save children’s lives

UNICEF has warned that if the violence escalates, “the situation for children risks worsening dramatically.” Any escalation of violence in the region will have serious humanitarian consequences, endangering the lives and well-being of many more children. It will also have lasting effects on the prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East. Tweet URL

“An immediate de-escalation is essential to safeguard the lives and well-being of children, as the alternative is unacceptable,” added Ms. Khodr, noting that “children have the right to be protected from violence and this right must always be respected.”

UNICEF continues to call on all parties to urgently exercise maximum restraint and protect civilians and the essential services they depend on for their survival. “However, what children really need is peace and security, the opportunity to live in dignity and free from deprivation and fear. And that starts with de-escalation, a lasting political solution and the promise of a better future,” stressed the UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East.

Education Cannot Wait Grant

To support global efforts to provide girls and boys with access to quality education and mental health services, the UN Fund for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises (Education Cannot Wait) announced on Thursday a $2 million grant.

Total funding for Education Cannot Wait in the State of Palestine now stands at $36 million.

The fast-acting grant, implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), will expand access to its Better Learning Programme for children in Gaza, which includes much-needed mental health services.

According to the United Nations, since October 2023, 625,000 children enrolled in schools in Gaza have been deprived of education and more than 370 schools have been damaged in attacks.

Grave Abuses Against Children

Even before the unprecedented hostilities began, an estimated 800,000 children in Gaza, or three-quarters of all children in the territory, had already been identified as needing mental health and psychosocial support services.

According to the UN Fund, the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza are facing a “monumental” humanitarian catastrophe and “inhumane conditions.” They are experiencing violence unprecedented in modern times, starvation and disease.

UN reports document serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law against children, which are commonplace in Gaza, with hundreds of girls and boys reportedly killed or injured every day. “The Gaza Strip is currently the most dangerous place in the world for children,” according to UNICEF.

“Desperation and scarcity have led to a complete collapse in the lives of children and adolescents.” We are trying to do everything we can to alleviate their suffering and bring them some hope,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, in a statement.

Education Cannot Wait has been funding education in the State of Palestine continuously since 2019, including an initial $10 million emergency response announced in November 2023.

UN calls for investigation into sexual abuse of Palestinian man in Israeli custody

The UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has called for an urgent and thorough investigation into Israel’s detention practices following the release of a new video allegedly showing sexual abuse and torture of a Palestinian man by Israeli soldiers.

According to a major Israeli media outlet, the video allegedly shows the act committed in the Israeli detention camp of Sde Teiman, for which nine soldiers were arrested on 29 July.

According to the office of High Commissioner Volker Türk, Israel must urgently allow independent monitoring bodies, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN Human Rights Office, immediate access to all places of detention.

In recent months, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented a number of videos showing gross violations of the rights of Palestinians detained by Israel, including acts of ill-treatment, torture, sexual violence and rape.

Some of its abuses may amount to war crimes

The recent United Nations detention report documents numerous gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including sexual and gender-based violence, against Palestinians deprived of their liberty, some of which may amount to war crimes.

According to the office of High Commissioner Volker Türk, Israel must ensure prompt, independent and effective investigations into all allegations of violations related to the treatment of detainees and conditions of detention, which UN human rights monitoring indicates may be widespread, and ensure that perpetrators are held to account.

Given Israel’s record of failure to account for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, OHCHR believes that steps are also needed at the international level to ensure that international standards are respected in all places where Palestinians are detained.