They didn’t make it to World Children’s Day
By Ebrahim Beheshti
Staff writer
The International Convention on the Rights of the Child, approved by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1989, outlines four fundamental principles: First, no child should suffer from discrimination; secondly, when decisions are made concerning children, their best interests should be prioritized; thirdly, children have the right to live and grow; and lastly, children have the right to freely express their opinions and ideas, which should be taken into consideration in all matters that affect them.
This year, World Children’s Day coincides with Israel’s devastating attacks on the people of Gaza and the ongoing loss of innocent lives, including children. Throughout history, war has always posed the greatest threat to children. Even the establishment of World Children’s Day in 1953 came in the aftermath of World War II, which resulted in countless child casualties, displacements, becoming an orphan, and psychological distress.
However, efforts have been made, both politically and legally, to prevent wars from violating established norms and to protect civilians from the horrors of conflict inflicted on them by warmongers. And yet, for the past 44 days, the world has witnessed heart-wrenching scenes of a new wave of violence in the Gaza Strip. More than 5,000 vulnerable children have been killed by Israeli bombings and didn’t make it to the World Children’s Day – and the surviving children still live in fear.
Today will be a different day for children in most countries around the world. And yet, in Gaza, November 20 is no different from November 19, or any day since October 7. Despite the fact that 193 countries have signed the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, it seems that they do not have the power to stop the child-killing machine of the monstrous vampire. It appears that the accepted universal rights of children have some unwritten exceptions, as if they depend on whether the children are from Gaza or Kiev.