At an event held in Brussels on Monday 30 September, the international human rights organisation Human Rights Watch called on the European Union to take firm action against the Gaza blockade and Israeli attacks.
More specifically, the NGO is asking the EU to react to the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, which has left many children with permanent disabilities, and to sanction Israel for these human rights violations.
Before 7 October 2023, around 98,000 children in Gaza were disabled, a number that increased after the Israeli strikes. The organisation reports that, according to the World Health Organization, by 23 July 2024, more than 22,500 people injured in Gaza had suffered “life-changing injuries”.
As the report states, UNICEF claims that thousands of children lost one or two limbs during the first three months of hostilities. Disabled children are in a precarious situation, suffering from a lack of access to medical care, food and water, exacerbated by the Israeli blockade.
In a letter published in July (https://aeur.eu/f/dne ), Human Rights Watch urged the EU to adopt targeted sanctions to force Israel to comply with its international obligations. The NGO is also calling on the Member States to cooperate with the Palestinian and Egyptian authorities to facilitate urgent medical evacuations for disabled children.
To read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/dnd (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)