HRW says will welcome UN decision to add Israeli army to child-harm blacklist
UN Director for Human Rights Watch Louis Charbonneau says if the UN decision to add Israel to a blacklist of countries that harm children was true, it was a “thoroughly justified” step.
The annual Children and Armed Conflict report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is not due to be published until June 18.
However, Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan went public after receiving notification of Israel’s inclusion on the list of countries that do not take adequate measures to shield children from conflict.
If true that #Israel will be added to the UN "list of shame" of violators of the rights of children in armed conflict, it's a thoroughly justified step by UN chief @antonioguterres.
(#Hamas belongs there too)@hrw's @jobeckerhrw on last year's omission. https://t.co/6vuvOjvJBS pic.twitter.com/cOUtkceZQZ
— louis charbonneau (@loucharbon) June 7, 2024
Lol @gilad, capital letters don't make your lies any less shameful.
Palestinian children enduring unprecedented harm, but show resilience: Psychiatrist
Ahmed Darwish, a child psychiatrist, says Palestinian children in Gaza face the reality of growing up without loved ones killed in Israel’s bombardment, as well as with lasting physical and psychological scars.
Darwish told Al Jazeera that in the short term, a sense of fear and anxiety is shared by children across the Gaza Strip. “People are going through a massive, massive trauma,” he said.
But Darwish said children and other Palestinians in Gaza have shown tremendous resilience.
“They [the children] need to be made aware of the strength within them,” he said.
Palestinian children wounded in an Israeli attack in Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, June 4
If you think about it in terms of 'natural selection', Israel is breeding the most resilient people on Earth through their 76 years of brutal treatment of Palestinians. Over four generations already that have lived with regular wars and brutal treatment all their lives.
‘Finally’: Amnesty International chief welcomes UN’s ‘blacklist’ decision
Agnes Callamard says rights groups “have long been documenting” Israeli violations against children.
“It should not have taken 15,000 children killed in Gaza for Israel to be on this shameful list,” the secretary-general of Amnesty International said.
Finally UN adds Israel to list of states committing violations against children. @amnesty and others have been long documenting such violations. It should not have taken 15,000 children killed in Gaza for Israel to be on this shameful list https://t.co/sP2EWdeLnT
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) June 7, 2024
UN ‘shocked’ at Israel’s behaviour in recording and release of phone call
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, has confirmed to reporters that Israel has been informed it will be included in the Children in Armed Conflict report this year.
Earlier today, Courtenay Rattray, the secretary-general’s chef de cabinet, gave Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan a courtesy call to inform Israel that it will be added. Although the report itself is due to be shared with Security Council members on June 14, it is tradition that the UN gives courtesy calls to notify newly added countries in advance and avoid leaks.
Erdan recorded that phone call and shared part of it on a social media account, prompting a rebuke from the secretary-general’s spokesperson.
“Ambassador Erdan’s video recording of that phone call and the partial release of that recording on Twitter [X] is shocking and unacceptable and frankly something I’ve never seen in my 24 years serving this organisation.”
Shocked? Have you not been paying attention to Israeli tactics?
