Statement on Palestinian Children's Day
On Palestinian Children’s Day, observed annually on April 5, Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem are living under extremely harsh humanitarian conditions. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has continued to deprive them of their most basic rights amid a devastating war and ongoing consequences that have resulted in grave tragedies, including killing, displacement, starvation, and orphanhood, in addition to escalating attacks and violations affecting their daily lives, safety, and stability.
The Ministry of Social Development stated that children in the Gaza Strip are paying the heaviest price of this war, as the number of child martyrs has exceeded 18,000. Estimates also indicate that more than 50,000 children have lost one or both parents, in addition to 4,500 missing children and women, amid continued displacement affecting approximately 1.9 million citizens, the majority of whom are women and children.
Children are also living in catastrophic humanitarian conditions lacking even the most basic necessities of life, which has led to the spread of diseases, particularly respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, and severe malnutrition, amid shortages of medicine and the collapse of health services, in addition to children being exposed to the dangers of extreme cold and the lack of heating.
In recent days, we have witnessed painful and shocking cases, particularly involving children. Among them was a 24-day-old infant who was attacked by rodents inside the place where he was sheltering, in addition to other cases in which children were used as a means of pressure and subjected to serious violations—scenes reflecting the extent of humanitarian and moral deterioration.
In the same context, the Ministry confirmed that more than one million children in the Gaza Strip are in need of psychosocial support due to repeated trauma and the loss of safety, amid continuous scenes of violence, destruction, and the loss of family members.
In the West Bank and Jerusalem, violations against children have also significantly escalated, amid repeated assaults and incursions into governorates and displacement in northern refugee camps, which has directly affected their daily lives and sense of security. These violations have not been limited to such incidents, but have reached horrific crimes, including the execution of children along with their families shortly before Eid, in a scene reflecting the severity of the escalation and the direct targeting of civilians, including children.
Regarding child detainees, the Ministry stated that more than 350 Palestinian children are being held in Israeli prisons under conditions that lack the minimum standards of protection and care. They are subjected to serious violations, constituting a clear breach of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international humanitarian law.
The Ministry also noted that these combined conditions have led to an alarming rise in child labor indicators, as a result of families losing sources of income and children being forced to engage in dangerous or illegal work to support their families—threatening their future and increasing the likelihood of exploitation and abuse.
The Ministry of Social Development affirmed that, despite the immense challenges, it continues to provide protection and care services for children through its field teams, in cooperation with partners. This includes psychosocial support, field follow-up of cases, and assistance to the most vulnerable families.
Minister of Social Development Dr. Samah Hamad stated that “what Palestinian children are facing today constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and agreements, and threatens an entire generation of children with the loss of their fundamental rights to life, education, and protection.”
The Ministry called on the international community to assume its legal and humanitarian responsibilities and take urgent action to stop violations against Palestinian children and ensure sustainable access to humanitarian aid.
The Ministry concluded its statement by stressing that protecting Palestinian children is a shared national and international responsibility, requiring an urgent and comprehensive response to guarantee their right to a dignified life and a safe future.
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On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment
Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that child marriage cannot be addressed in isolation from the broader social protection system, as it is linked to multiple factors, including poverty, school dropout, domestic violence, loss of parental care, displacement, and weakened protection networks. The Ministry explained that its role includes protecting children and girls at risk, providing case management, family interventions, psychosocial support, and referral services, and connecting families with assistance, essential services, and economic empowerment programmes. It also coordinates with relevant authorities when the safety of a child or girl is at risk. The Ministry places the best interests of the child and protection from exploitation and abuse at the heart of its child protection services. The Ministry stressed that preventing early marriage also requires protecting families from poverty and economic shocks, supporting girls' continued access to education, raising awareness of their rights, and strengthening families' ability to cope with pressures without resorting to practices that may expose girls to long-term physical, psychological, and social risks. The issue is particularly concerning in the Gaza Strip, where the Ministry warned that the loss of parental care, displacement, extreme poverty, and the declining capacity of extended families to provide care and protection increase children's vulnerability to various forms of exploitation, including early marriage. In this context, the Ministry continues to work with local and international organizations involved in child and women's protection to strengthen early intervention, referral pathways, alternative care, and psychosocial support, alongside assistance to the most vulnerable families to reduce the risk factors that may contribute to early marriage. The Ministry called for child marriage to be addressed as a child protection and human rights issue requiring coordinated action among families and social, educational, health, and legal institutions. It also called for increased investment in girls' education, protection, and empowerment to safeguard their right to grow, learn, and make decisions about their future freely and safely.
On World Children's Day, MoSD: Palestinian Children Face Harsh Realities of Loss, Displacement, Violence, & Deprivation
Ramallah – On the occasion of World Children's Day, observed annually on 20 November, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that Palestinian children are facing extremely harsh conditions amid the continuing consequences of the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating attacks, displacement, home demolitions, and movement restrictions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. These conditions have deprived children of their lives, families, shelter, education, care, and safety. According to available United Nations data, at least 21,700 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip, while approximately 45,000 have been injured, including more than 11,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to experience repeated displacement and deprivation of essential services. In the West Bank, including Jerusalem, children continue to face attacks, forced displacement of families, and damage to schools, homes, and infrastructure. More than 1,700 children have been displaced since the beginning of 2026 as a result of settler violence, movement restrictions, and demolitions. The Ministry stressed that the consequences of war and occupation extend beyond immediate casualties to include bereavement, family separation, hunger, school dropout, child labour, violence, exploitation, acquired disabilities, and psychological and social distress. These risks require a comprehensive and long-term child protection response. The Ministry explained that child protection is a central pillar of its work, implemented through Child Protection Departments in its directorates. These departments receive reports, assess levels of risk, provide case management and family follow-up, facilitate referrals to specialized services, and intervene in cases of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Their responsibilities also include protecting children engaged in labour or begging, children who have dropped out of school, and children in conflict with the law, in coordination with relevant government authorities and partner organizations. In the Gaza Strip, children's protection and care needs have intensified significantly, particularly among orphans, children deprived of parental care, separated and unaccompanied children, and those requiring psychosocial support. In cooperation with its partners, the Ministry is working to provide alternative care, social follow-up, sponsorship programmes, psychological support, and food, health, and in-kind assistance, while strengthening and restoring child protection services across the Gaza Strip. The Ministry emphasized that protecting children is inseparable from protecting their families. Accordingly, child protection services form part of a broader social protection system encompassing food, cash, and non-food assistance, health insurance, education, school bags and stationery, psychosocial support, services for persons with disabilities, and family economic empowerment. These interventions aim to reduce the risks associated with poverty, displacement, loss of income, and family instability. The Ministry of Social Development called on the international community, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and donors to provide sustainable support for the Palestinian child protection system. It urged continued funding for alternative care programmes, orphan sponsorship, psychosocial support, education, nutrition, and rehabilitation, alongside support for Palestinian national institutions capable of reaching children and families and ensuring sustained follow-up. The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that World Children's Day cannot be merely an occasion for celebration while Palestinian children are deprived of their most fundamental rights. It stressed that protecting children begins with safeguarding their right to life and extends to ensuring their rights to family care, shelter, food, education, healthcare, protection, and social support.
