Over 8,000 children are missing and 21,510 killed in Gaza after 29 months of Israeli attacks, warns the Palestinian Centre for Forcibly Disappeared Persons amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.

The Palestinian Centre for the Missing & Forcibly Disappeared Persons issued a stern warning about the escalating humanitarian crisis specifically impacting minors within the besieged enclave.

This year’s commemoration of Palestinian Children’s Day unfolds against a backdrop of an unparalleled humanitarian crisis, which disproportionately affects the child population.

RELATED: Israeli Drone Strike Kills Four in Gaza City as Ceasefire Violations Continue

The Centre also reported that approximately 200 minors have vanished without a trace in various areas of Gaza, raising strong presumptions of forced disappearances or scenarios where they might have been direct targets of Israeli forces.

The report details that numerous children disappeared while attempting to access crucial humanitarian aid or seeking food in areas designated as high-risk due to ongoing hostilities. Other tragic instances occurred when children were gathering firewood or endeavoring to return to their homes, which had been destroyed by intense bombardments. Testimonies from individuals who were previously detained and subsequently released indicate that several of these minors suffered severe abuses during their captivity, while the fate of many others continues to remain unknown and unverified.

The organization underscored that the presence of thousands of children’s bodies still trapped beneath the rubble constitutes a grave violation of human dignity, significantly deepening the suffering endured by their families. In this context, it warned that these stark figures unequivocally demonstrate the immense scale of Zionist violations against international humanitarian law.

International Action Imperative

The Centre ultimately urged the international community and the United Nations to adopt urgent, concrete measures, including the immediate opening of safe corridors to facilitate essential rescue operations, the provision of adequate and specialized equipment for these efforts, and the prompt initiation of independent investigations designed to clarify all cases of forced disappearances and definitively determine the whereabouts of the missing minors.

The continuous targeting of civilians, particularly children, highlights a severe breach of international law and demands a robust global response. The plight of Gazan children exemplifies the devastating consequences of prolonged conflict and the urgent need for protective mechanisms and international legal enforcement.

IN THIS ARTICLE