MoSD: Palestinian Children Are Paying the Highest Price of Aggression and Blockade
Ramallah – 20 November – The Ministry of Social Development affirmed that this year’s Universal Children’s Day comes as the impacts of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank continue to leave severe consequences on the lives of Palestinian children, who are living under harsh humanitarian conditions deprived of basic necessities.
The Ministry explained that the aggression has resulted in the killing of more than 18,000 children, in addition to around 4,700 children and women who remain missing under the rubble, and more than 50,000 children who have lost one or both parents, exacerbating the social, psychological, and health needs of affected families.
The Ministry noted that the continued blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and the restrictions on the entry of food and medical supplies have further worsened children's suffering, with rising rates of malnutrition, lack of treatment, and limited access to healthcare, amid the collapse of hospital operations and the depletion of essential medical supplies.
It further indicated that hundreds of schools have been destroyed or damaged due to the aggression, while others have been turned into shelters for displaced families, leading to the disruption of education and depriving thousands of students of their right to safe and continuous learning.
The Ministry also stated that more than 350 children are currently held in Israeli prisons under conditions that lack minimum standards of protection and care, in clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international humanitarian law.
The Ministry highlighted that the exceptional circumstances facing the Palestinian people— including aggression, blockade, displacement, and poverty— have led to a significant increase in cases of violence, neglect, and abuse against children, particularly within families that have lost their sources of income or experienced trauma and loss.
Field directorates across the Ministry continue to record a rise in reports related to psychological violence resulting from shock and persistent fear, physical violence within some affected families due to pressure, and family neglect associated with the absence of parents, displacement, or the loss of a breadwinner.
The Ministry emphasized that it is working to expand protection, counseling, and psychosocial support services, despite field challenges and difficulties in reaching many devastated areas.
It also explained that current conditions have caused an increase in school dropout rates, both in Gaza—due to the destruction of schools and mass displacement—and in the West Bank due to military incursions, closures, and obstacles preventing students from reaching their schools.
Ministry data indicate that dropout rates are influenced by multiple factors, including the loss of homes and family stability, psychological distress, poverty and families' inability to meet educational needs, as well as the engagement of some children in the labor market to support their families. The Ministry warned that the continuation of these conditions may result in an entire generation facing a severe educational gap, calling for the provision of safe educational alternatives and urgent psychological and educational support programs.
The Ministry also warned of a notable increase in child labor over the past two years, particularly in areas where sources of income have been severely affected, forcing many children into unsafe or illegal work to support their families.
The Ministry follows up on the cases of working children through its protection teams, given the serious risks child labor poses to their physical and psychological development, as well as the increased likelihood of exploitation, maltreatment, and school dropout.
For her part, Minister of Social Development Dr. Samah Hamd stated that “the aggression and the blockade have left profound impacts on the reality of childhood in Palestine, whether in terms of human loss, collapse of basic services, rising violence, increased school dropout, or the surge in child labor.”
She added that the Ministry, through its field directorates, continues to monitor the conditions of affected children and works in coordination with local and international partners to provide food and medical assistance, psychosocial support programs, and protection services from violence and exploitation.
The Ministry called on the international community to shoulder its legal and humanitarian responsibilities to stop violations against Palestinian children, lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip, and ensure the sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid, guaranteeing the minimum requirements for a dignified life for children and their families.
The Ministry concluded its statement by reaffirming that protecting Palestinian children is a shared national and international responsibility, and that ending their suffering requires urgent and serious action to end the aggression and address its ongoing consequences.