Public Comment

As the Israeli offensive in Gaza continues, more and more children continue to die – 467 since July. 3,000 have suffered severe injuries and 1,000 will suffer a lifelong disability; 1,500 have been orphaned. Many of their schools have been destroyed and few hospitals are fully functional. According to the United Nations, a staggering 373,000 children are severely traumatized. Their future remains extremely bleak. Over 1 million of Gaza’s 1.8 million are children under the age of 17. 

Pernille Ironside, chief of UNICEF’s Gaza field office stated "there isn’t a single family in Gaza who hasn’t experienced death, injury, or the loss of their home; the psychological toll on its people, especially the children is staggering. The type of weaponry that’s being used is literally shredding and obliterating people, and particularly children. All this is coming on top of already deep—deep wounds from two previous conflicts.” Many children have expressed regret they could not have perished under the rubble for there no future in Gaza – only more excruciating pain. 

The norms of international law have been severely compromised where civilians and U.N. facilitates, which have been fully coordinated with Israeli officials, have been deliberately targeted. Not even the sanctity of the UN flag has been respected. Jewish Voice for Peace, Amnesty International, Human rights Watch and many other groups have expressed deep outrage over the ongoing genocide, more especially as our Pentagon continues to replenish Israel’s arsenal of these terrifying weapons.