Save the Children Says Failure to Extend Pause is a Death Sentence for Children as Bombardment of Gaza Resumes

RAMALLAH (Dec. 1, 2023)—The failure to extend the military pause is a death sentence for children in Gaza, with children already reported injured following return to fighting, said Save the Children.  

Following two extensions of the pause which led to the release of 110 hostages from Gaza and 240 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons according to the UN, warring parties have failed to extend the pause or agree to a definitive ceasefire.  

Despite an increase in some supplies entering Gaza during the week-long pause, restrictions and delays to aid delivery remained, and the UN said the volume of incoming commodities was insufficient to meet the extensive needs of the 1.8 million people displaced from their homes.

Aid agencies including Save the Children reported that the level of humanitarian supplies that could pass the border each day was limited by a lack of fuel and vehicles, damage to infrastructure, as well as screening checks at the border. Two of the three crossings into Gaza—Erez and Kerem Shalom, controlled by Israeli authorities—remained closed for aid throughout.

Jason Lee, Save the Children’s Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory, said:

“Every time diplomatic efforts fail, we are failing all children in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank.

“Once again, children in Gaza woke up to the sounds of airstrikes. Once again, they risk being killed by bombs, starvation, disease, or dehydration. 56 days of intense violence and destruction have produced one of the worst humanitarian crises ever seen in the region and this seven day-pause hasn’t allowed us to get the aid and staff needed into Gaza to provide lifesaving assistance to the 1.1 million children and their families.

"Nearly 8,000 children in Gaza have already been killed or are missing, presumed under the rubble.^[1] This is a stain on our collective conscience, and we cannot stand by and let this indefensible toll grow even further. The failure of the international community to take decisive action in stopping the conflict and restoring the international rules-based order will be at the cost of the lives, hopes, and futures of an entire generation of children.

“The international community cannot accept a return to hostilities, with its relentless destruction and devastating impacts for children. Humanity must prevail. We need a definitive ceasefire now. It is the only way to keep children safe and create conditions that allow us to provide urgent assistance at the speed and scale needed to save lives.”

###

Notes to Editor

[1] According to the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza, since the start of hostilities, more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including about 6,150 children and 4,000 women. In addition, UNICEF reported more than 4,500 people, including at least 1,750 children, were reported missing presumed under the rubble, as of November 20.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.