Between April and July 2024, Defence for Children International (DCI) and CRIN co-hosted a webinar series highlighting the reality of Palestinian children’s rights under military occupation of the West Bank and the unfolding genocide in Gaza. These are the recommendations for action that emerged from this webinar series.

Over six webinars, speakers (including representatives of Palestinian civil society organisations, several UN Special Rapporteurs, members of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, a member of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT, a former Director of the US State Department, a high-level EU official, academics, and a statement from Graça Machel) looked at what responsibilities states and the international system have in supporting and protecting children’s rights. What efforts are needed to prevent crimes against Palestinian and other children in Gaza, the West Bank and in detention in Israel? To ensure that children’s voices and experiences were heard, videos made by DCI-Palestine were played during each webinar. 

There is power in children’s rights advocates coming together to express solidarity and sorrow, and to learn and strategise as a collective. Gaza has been a turning point for individuals and organisations to rethink what we can all do to respond to the most serious human rights violations that take place during armed conflict.

We invite you to think about what role you can play in implementing these recommendations - everyone can play a role, no matter how small it may seem.

Links to all of the recordings and webinar summaries can be found here.

Speaking out

• Advocate for an immediate ceasefire: Push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to prevent further civilian casualties and humanitarian crises in Gaza.

• Condemn dehumanising rhetoric: Actively denounce and combat dehumanising language and policies that exacerbate the conflict and contribute to further violence.

• Decolonise language and mindsets: Encourage a shift in global narratives to recognise the full humanity and rights of Palestinians, rejecting biased and dehumanising terminology.

• Support academic freedom: Condemn the crackdown on freedom of speech for academics, such as the arrest of Prof. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, and support university protests against such actions.

• International responsibility awareness: Raise awareness about the responsibility of third-party states in preventing and addressing genocide against Palestinian children; advocate for adequate international response without double standards.

• Knowledge deepening events: Continue organising events and webinars with various speakers to deepen understanding of the Palestinian situation, focusing on the impact of military occupation in the West Bank and the unfolding genocide in Gaza, as well as the responsibilities of states to protect children’s rights.

• Mobilise the public in each country to demand government action for ceasefire, release of hostages and opening of a negotiation process in order to end the illegal occupation of Palestine. 
  

International accountability mechanisms

• Advocate loudly for accountability systems to halt human and child rights violations, recognising the urgent need to address ongoing suffering endured by Palestinian children since 1948. Support and reinforce mechanisms to hold Israel accountable for alleged crimes against humanity, including actions by international courts such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Press for accountability by urging the ICC to issue arrest warrants and for countries with universal jurisdiction to ensure justice is served for violations committed during the conflict.

• Demand accountability for crimes against humanity and challenge the culture of impunity that allows violations to persist.

• Support the role of international criminal justice in preventing atrocities by urging the Office of the Prosecutor to fulfil its duties independently of state pressure.

• Call for intervention from states regarding the South Africa v. Israel case in the ICJ to address potential complicity in crimes. Countries from the global south to find space for taking action, following the example of South Africa. 

• Support international investigations: Back the efforts of the International Commission of Inquiry and other UN bodies to investigate and document violations in the Palestinian territories.

• Recognise the risk of vulnerable groups in the global response, such as in the ICC warrants. Recognise the need for child-tailored decisions.

• Reinforce the effective capacity of international courts, such as the ICJ.

Legal challenges

• Initiate legal action in states supporting Israel to hold them accountable for their involvement in the conflict, pushing for international criminal justice mechanisms to address atrocities committed against Palestinian children. Pursue legal avenues, like the Netherlands’ NGO initiatives, to halt the transfer of weapons to Israel. Encourage international child rights organisations to campaign for states to cease weapon deliveries to Israel.

• Use third country courts or national courts for engaged enforcement. 

• Pursue legal avenues against private companies supplying arms (and the reputational cost of being sued). 

UN and diplomatic actions

• Respect international law: Urge all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law to safeguard civilian lives and property.

• Engage in diplomatic efforts: Use diplomatic channels to pressure for policy changes, enhance humanitarian protections, and push for a peaceful resolution based on mutual recognition of historical injustices and current realities.

• Advocate for Palestinian statehood: Mobilise European civil society and international NGOs to pressure Western democracies to support Palestinian statehood. Utilise UN mechanisms like the “Uniting for Peace” resolution to challenge the Security Council’s inertia.

• Draw on precedents from history, such as unseating Israel from the UN, using the powers of the Credentials Committee. 

• Provide the UN Committee of the Rights of the Child with information that can be fed into the follow up review of Israel.  

• Use the Human Rights Council compliance mechanism to apply pressure. 

Upholding the rights of children, their families and communities

• Share Palestinian children’s lived experiences with decision-makers and courts.

• Implement practical measures, such as the ‘no harm rule,’ to prevent further harm to unaccompanied and separated children, focusing on strengthening families to care for them. Focus on protecting children in armed conflicts, ensuring their rights to safety, education, and psychological support are prioritised in international responses.

• Support refugees from Gaza by addressing financial barriers preventing them from leaving the country, and advocate for a ceasefire to provide essential humanitarian aid.

• Promote mental health support: Provide comprehensive mental health services to children in Gaza suffering from PTSD and other trauma-related conditions.

• Facilitate safe passage and aid: Work with neighbouring countries like Egypt to streamline visa processes and reduce costs for Palestinians seeking refuge and medical treatment.

• Protect civilian infrastructure: Respect and protect civilian infrastructure, such as shelters, schools, health facilities, and utilities, to prevent loss of life, disease outbreaks, and ensure care for the sick and wounded.

• Medical access: Allow urgent medical cases to safely access critical health services or be evacuated, ensuring that children evacuated for medical reasons are accompanied by family members.

• Family-Based Care: Promote family-based care options for children deprived of parental care, avoiding excessive institutionalisation.

Solidarity and support from and to civil society

• Call for solidarity among civil society organisations in denouncing apartheid and supporting efforts to undo root causes of violence.

• Strengthen support for frontline workers and community-based workers in Gaza and the West Bank to enhance their capacity to protect children.

• Humanitarian access and safe movement: Ensure safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within Gaza to reach affected populations, including opening all access crossings. Guarantee the safe movement of humanitarian workers and supplies to support aid delivery.

• Collaborate and mobilise: Coordinate efforts among NGOs and civil society to push for concrete actions. Mobilise support for comprehensive Concluding Observations from the Committee on the Rights of the Child in September, urging states to halt weapon deliveries to Israel.

• Support for Human Rights Defenders: Provide protection and support for Palestinian human rights defenders and NGOs documenting the situation, recognising their essential role despite crackdowns.

Funding

• Confront states with their obligations to stop supporting Israel and redirect resources to humanitarian aid efforts through UNRWA.

• Provide humanitarian aid: Mobilise international resources to supply food, water, and medical aid to Gaza, addressing the acute shortages and preventing further deaths from starvation and disease.

If you have any questions or further suggestions, get in touch with us at advocacy@defenceforchildren.org or info@crin.org.

Links to all of the recordings and webinar summaries can be found here.

A link to further resources related to legal mechanisms and challenges, ongoing campaigns and initiatives, and educational and creative resources is here; and a new report from DCI-Palestine on Targeting childhood: Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank is here.