Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The Belgian Presidency and the European Commission are concerned about the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation for children in Gaza, where of the 29,782 Palestinians killed since the start of hostilities, up to 70% were women and children. This came in a joint statement issued in Brussels, and the statement added, “More than 11,682 children were reported injured, and thousands more are missing and likely to be injured or killed under the rubble of destroyed buildings. There are one million displaced children in Gaza, and they face constant risks of exposure to violence and abuse, including This includes gender-based violence, detention, explosive ordnance, risks associated with losing civil documents to prove their existence, risks associated with attacks against schools and hospitals and lack of access to humanitarian aid. An estimated 17,000 children have been separated from their parents or lost their parents. This has resulted in The situation has left many children psychologically traumatized. UNICEF estimates that more than one million children are in need of psychological support. Children with pre-existing or new mental or physical disabilities will be exposed to heightened risks of violence and abuse.

The risk of famine in Gaza increases daily, especially for hundreds of thousands in northern Gaza who have often been cut off from aid. Furthermore it,
Healthcare in Gaza remains extremely precarious and is subject to severe shortages of healthcare, fuel, medical supplies and medical personnel, access restrictions, and rapidly deteriorating health conditions.
From 7 October to 28 November, WHO reported 795 health attacks in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, killing 678 health workers and injuring 920 others. Access to basic health services, including emergency obstetric and neonatal care, is extremely limited, especially for women and girls. The water and sanitation situation is also very critical; Water production capacity decreases to up to 40% of normal daily production, forcing people to consume unsafe water and limiting access to water, sanitation and hygiene services, especially for children and adolescent girls.

In all wars, children suffer first and suffer the most, but wars have rules. According to international humanitarian law, they must be respected and there must be an unconditional release of all detained children. We call for an immediate and long-term humanitarian truce that will lead to a sustainable ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas, especially children, and the provision of Humanitarian aid.

Moreover, school education in Gaza has stopped. More than 625,000 students have been deprived of education. More than 5,055 students and more were killed
More than 8,497 students were injured. All UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip were closed – most of them turned into shelters – depriving 300,000 children of their education. The situation of children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is also extremely important. Military law enforcement operations within Palestinian communities and refugee camps, as well as settler violence and restrictions on movement, continue to worsen

Palestinian children are more at risk of violence, including arrest, exposure to unexploded ordnance, serious violations, and displacement, affecting their access to services.
Since 7 October, at least 2,763 Palestinians, including 1,319 children, have been displaced, mostly in Area C and East Jerusalem, due to settler violence, access restrictions, house demolitions, and destruction of housing during military law enforcement operations. Children living in hotspot areas are unable to reach their schools due to security issues. Teaching and learning materials have been largely destroyed and will have to be replaced for education to resume.

Against this background, and based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Security Council Resolutions 2712 and 2720, we call for urgent assistance to the children of Gaza and the West Bank.

1. We call for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire .

2. We call for respect for international law, including international humanitarian law and the law of rights. We recall the parties' obligations to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as shelters, schools, health, electrical, water and sanitation facilities, to prevent casualties among civilians and children.
lives and disease outbreaks and to provide safe spaces and care for the sick and wounded, to those sheltered in public buildings such as schools, and to ensure safe and uninterrupted humanitarian access to deliver vital and life-saving aid (fuel, cooking gas, food and medical supplies

3. Any grave violations against all children, including killing and maiming, must end. We demand the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all detained children and hostages in particular.
4. We call for safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip, including the north, and the West Bank to reach affected populations wherever they are. All crossings must be opened. Safe and unimpeded movement of humanitarian workers and supplies throughout the Gaza Strip and the West Bank must be ensured.

5. We pledge to support a broadly coordinated and principled United Nations humanitarian response to Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank.