Calling all childhood researchers and students: please sign this letter calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
We write this letter as academics and students who specialise in the study of children and childhood to call for the immediate cessation of the Western-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza and the egregious violation of Palestinian children’s rights.
For many of us, entering this field of study was motivated by a desire to improve the material, social, and political conditions of life for children globally. We cannot, therefore, sit by as the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate because of Israeli bombardment with arms provided by Western powers; the forced evacuation of over a million people by the Israeli Defence Forces; and the denial of food, water, and fuel by the Israeli state. This compounds 75 years of settler-colonial occupation in Palestine and 17 years in which Gaza has been little more than an open-air prison. Together, this has produced some of the most heinous conditions of life imaginable for Gaza’s civilian population, almost half of whom are children.
Children are losing their lives, their futures, and their ability to breathe. As we write, more than 7,000 people have been killed in Gaza, nearly 3,000 of whom are children, and more than 16,000 have been wounded since Israel launched its attack on the besieged territory on 7th October. According to Defence for Children International, more than 100 children killed each day or 1 child every 15 minutes. Many others are among the wounded and orphaned. As the British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta pointed out, the Al Shifa Hospital has had to create the category of ‘wounded child with no surviving family’ given the sheer numbers the hospital is supporting. He explained that children are being operated on without anaesthesia and with no support, leaving them in a state of “daze” and total loss. Gazan children are writing their names on their arms so their bodies can be identified should they be killed.
Our research with children has shown that colonial occupation, state violence, and terrorism means a real threat to children’s physical and psycho-social continuity. Our research exposes the long-term effects of wartime experiences, and in Gaza it reveals the ongoing cumulative trauma, and its effect on children’s well-being and emotional, mental, and physical health. There is no moral justification whatsoever for continuing this brutality which will result in the debilitation, wounding and death of thousands more children. These injuries and deaths are preventable. It is a choice, and we call upon those who have the power and can act to save the lives of these children to do so. Stopping the genocidal war NOW is crucial for the survival and wellbeing of children.
It is often assumed that if children are the targets of state-sanctioned killings, enforced starvation, and dispossession, perpetrators will be immediately condemned. As they should be. Yet, not all lives are treated equally. The lack of attention to the horrific hardship facing Palestinian children furthers their debilitation and traumatisation, and continues to be complicit in dehumanising them, while minimising their agonies and death. Palestinian children have names, families, stories, and dreams, yet they are facing global and local brutalities that reduce them to anonymous numbers. As academics and students of childhood, we say that no child should be subjected to violent death, injury, or starvation, no matter where they are from. We affirm: Palestinian children’s lives are precious.
The intolerable consequences of the genocide in Gaza are not just affecting children, but their parents, grandparents, relatives, and adult neighbours. To protect and support children also means protecting and supporting the adults in their lives. The availability of emotional resources for children – including from family, friends, and neighbours – can ease the ‘wounds inside’. But the lives of Palestinian adults do not only matter because they care for children. We say: all Palestinian lives are precious.
We therefore support the call for immediate action from the people of Gaza for:
1. An immediate ceasefire.
2. The urgent restoration of water, food, fuel, medical supplies and humanitarian aid.
3. Immediate protection of medical and mental health facilities and the reversal of the illegal and inhumane evacuation orders for hospitals.
4. The facilitation of safe passage for casualties and critically-ill individuals.
5. The opening of crossings for those seeking to evacuate and permitting the entry of medical and rescue teams.
We support calls from within Palestine/Israel for a long-term political solution, premised on ending the ongoing occupation of Palestine and the Israeli apartheid regime.
We support global calls for the immediate release of civilians, including the 500-700 Palestinian children arbitrarily detained by Israel each year and those children held hostage by Hamas.
We commit ourselves to taking action wherever we are by:
● Demanding that our governments urgently and actively press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, publicly on the international stage and in back-channel discussions with Israel.
● Calling for Israel, our local and national governments and professional associations, the international community, and Hamas to uphold the rights of children affected by armed conflict as laid out in the Geneva Conventions and Article 38 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
● Countering the dehumanisation of Palestinian children and adults, wherever we encounter these, whether in our schools, universities, media, or communities.
● Demanding the immediate release of Palestinian children arbitrarily held in detention and children held hostage by Hamas.
● Exposing our governments’ complicity in enabling the Israeli genocide in Gaza to continue unabated.
● Standing in solidarity with those organisations and individuals working for a just and lasting peace in Palestine/Israel, including those who have faced threats and harassment for speaking out in support of Palestine.
Signatories:
1. Rachel Rosen, University College London
2. Fikile Nxumalo, University of Toronto
3. Sarada Balagopalan, Rutgers University-Camden
4. Spyros Spyrou, European University Cyprus
5. Valeria Llobet, Universidad Nacional de San Martín
Sign the letter here.
I am writing this letter to respond to Rachel Rosen’s letter. While reading her letter, I noticed that she failed to acknowledge the heinous acts committed by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, which prompted Israel’s response. Additionally, I would like to point out that her letter did not mention the suffering of Israeli children.
Therefore, I am writing this open letter to address these issues.
Dear Rachel Rosen,
I am writing to address your letter requesting an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the concerning violation of Palestinian children’s rights. In your letter, you expressed your concerns regarding Israel’s bombardment and the forced evacuation of millions of people by the Israeli army. I appreciate your efforts to raise awareness about this issue.
However, I would like to inquire if a similar letter has been written to the Syrian government regarding the more than 200,000 lives lost, including 20,000 children, during the Syrian conflict. For twelve long years, Syrian children have endured multiple crises, resulting in disrupted schooling, limited access to healthcare and essential services, and forced displacement. Millions of children and their families have been forced to flee their homes in search of safer places, often being relocated to urban areas, camps, and slums. Furthermore, only a small percentage of three- and four-year-old Palestinian children in the Syrian Arab Republic have access to preschool education, and services for children with disabilities or at risk of developmental delays are insufficient.
In Lebanon, approximately 210,000 Palestine refugees reside, with significant challenges faced by those coming from Lebanon (PRL) and Syria (PRS). These refugees, regarded as foreigners, are restricted from working in as many as 39 professions. Moreover, the 12 recognized Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon suffer from overcrowding, poor housing conditions, insufficient infrastructure, poverty, and violence, posing significant risks to children and youth.
In Iran, at least 58 children, some reportedly as young as eight, have been killed since anti-regime protests broke out in the country in November 2022; on top of it, we learned that in January 2022 alone, 172 marriages involving young girls between 5 and 9 years old were recorded. I wonder if this issue has also been addressed in your previous letter.
I noticed in your letter that you mentioned the lives lost in Gaza due to the recent conflict. While Israel implemented defensive actions following terrorist group Hamas infiltrations and the murder of over 1,400 citizens, including 40 babies, it is crucial to recognize the loss of innocent lives on both sides. Additionally, approximately 220 civilians were kidnapped, with the youngest victim being just 9 months old. Both Israeli and Palestinian children have been affected by the conflict, with many families on both sides having to relocate due to the constant threat of violence.
It is necessary to understand that the people of Gaza have faced significant challenges stemming from their own government since their democratic election in 2005. Despite receiving substantial financial aid, this money was not directed toward infrastructure development or enhancing the lives of their citizens. Instead, it was used to procure rockets, while some children were forced into building tunnels and treated as enslaved children by their own government.
In the past 20 years, the international community has witnessed the persistent acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas. Throughout its existence, Hamas has resorted to various forms of terrorism, including suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and guerrilla warfare tactics. These acts of terrorism have resulted in significant casualties, loss of innocent lives, and a constant threat to the regional stability of the Middle East.
One of the most notorious acts of violence attributed to Hamas took place on March 27, 2002, during the Second Intifada. In this tragic event, a suicide bomber managed to breach security and targeted a Passover dinner at the Park Hotel in the coastal city of Netanya, Israel. This horrifying attack resulted in the loss of 30 innocent lives and left more than 140 people injured. In response to such security threats, Israel took measures to protect its citizens, including the construction of a security fence to prevent the infiltration of potential bombers from Palestinian territories.
It’s important to address the characterization of Gaza as an “open-air prison.” This situation is indeed a result of complex factors, and it’s worth noting that Hamas, Gaza, plays a significant role in these conditions. Despite this, it’s essential to remember that prior to the heinous crimes committed by Hamas, On October 7, 2023, Palestinian people were able to travel to Israel for work, and many worked in Israeli communities, including the Kibbutzim, where the tragic massacre occurred.
In recent years, Hamas has continued its campaign of violence by launching rocket attacks into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, where the group has established its stronghold. These indiscriminate attacks have targeted civilian areas, causing fear and trauma among the Israeli population. The most recent escalation occurred in May 2021, when Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israel, prompting a military response and resulting in the loss of both Israeli and Palestinian lives.
It’s important to acknowledge that Israeli children, too, have faced profound disruptions in their lives, particularly as a result of relentless rocket attacks. These attacks have inflicted a heavy toll on Israeli communities, with an estimated 7,500 rockets fired towards Israeli territory every week. These constant threats have taken a severe emotional toll on Israeli children and the children who have had to endure the trauma of witnessing the brutal murders of their parents, grandparents, siblings and friends at the hands of the terrorist group Hamas. The psychological impact on these young lives should not be underestimated as they navigate the constant fear and distress caused by these attacks.
Both Palestinian and Israeli children have suffered and continue to suffer the consequences of these conflicts, and it is important to acknowledge the multiple perspectives and experiences. Each child’s life is valuable and deserves recognition, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity.
I appreciate your efforts in highlighting the challenges faced by children in conflict zones. However, it is of utmost importance not to overlook the struggles of Israeli children. Let us firmly assert that every child’s well-being is paramount and should be recognized.
“…Since Israel launched its attack on the beseiged territory on 7th Oct..”
Oh , is that what happened on that day?
Nauseating.