A UN committee strongly condemned Israel’s severe violations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, stating that its military operations since October 7 have had a devastating impact on children.
The four-member committee expressed its concerns in an official document released today.
“The committee condemns in the strongest terms the grave violations of the rights enshrined in the Convention, which are being witnessed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the significant loss of life caused by Israel’s military actions,” the statement read.
Earlier this month, during a series of UN hearings, the Israeli delegation argued that the Convention does not apply to Gaza and the West Bank.
The delegation also emphasized that “Israel is committed to upholding international humanitarian law.”
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has announced that the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has reached a 90% coverage rate.
Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, confirmed that efforts are now focused on ensuring that hundreds of thousands of children receive a second dose by the end of September.
Launched on September 1, the campaign targets around 640,000 children under ten, amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
This initiative followed the World Health Organization’s report last month of a child contracting type 2 polio—a rare event in the Palestinian territories in 25 years.
