The Israeli military’s nearly year-long siege and bombardment of Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks in Israel have been catastrophic for children, especially those with disabilities.
“I was a burden on them [my family], an extra load alongside their belongings,” said Ghazal, a 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who lost her wheelchair and a boot that helps her walk in an attack on her home in Gaza City. “I couldn't find any means of transportation. I gave up and sat on the ground in the middle of the road, crying. I told them to go on without me.”
A new Human Rights Watch report documents how children with disabilities in Gaza face a particularly dangerous situation and additional difficulties as they struggle to comply with frequent evacuation orders and a lack of effective advance warning of attacks.
Before the hostilities began last October, nearly 100,000 children in Gaza had a disability. Since then, thousands more have been injured and acquired a permanent disability, many from explosive weapons used in civilian areas.
The ongoing siege of Gaza, unlawful obstruction of humanitarian aid, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, as well as damage and destruction of hospitals are causing disproportionate harm to children with disabilities, who struggle to access desperately needed medical treatment and supplies, assistive devices, food, and water.
