This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Children and children's rights have long been a focal point of the ongoing IsraeliβPalestinian conflict , dating as early as the Hebron massacre and the Deir Yassin massacre , both of which claimed the lives of children, precipitating a long conflict that has often led to the displacement, injury, and death of youths.
Youth exposure to hostilities increased notably during the First and Second Intifada , where harsh responses from Israeli forces towards Palestinian adolescents and children protesting the Israeli occupation led to the arrest and detention of many Palestinian youth, in addition to other human rights abuses.
Children have been regular victims and, at times, used as perpetrators of violence in the conflict, including being used as suicide bombers.
Israeli and Palestinian children have suffered from attacks, including bombings and shootings, often targeting or involving schools and other youth spaces. Reports indicate that such violence has had severe psychological impacts on children, including trauma and PTSD. International organizations, including the UN and Human Rights Watch , have expressed grave concern about the treatment of children in the conflict and have called for both sides to adhere to international conventions on the rights of children.
In fact, during the IsraelβHamas war , the United Nations added the Israeli Defense Forces to a list of offenders who fail to protect children. Efforts have been made to address the conflict's impact on children, with various peace projects involving youth from both sides.
