11 Palestinian children killed in Israeli strikes were undergoing therapy for trauma

Eleven out of 60 children who were killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes last week were already undergoing therapy sessions aimed at helping them to deal with trauma, confirmed the Norwegian Refugee Council on May 18. The humanitarian, non-governmental organisation said in its report that all children were aged between 5 and 15 years old and were killed in their homes in densely populated areas along with several relatives who also lost their lives or suffered severe injuries. Countless civilian lives were lost in the latest violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants before both sides agreed to a ceasefire.

NRC's Secretary-General Jan Egeland said in a statement, “We are devastated to learn that 11 children we were helping with trauma were bombarded while they were at home and thought they were safe.”

“They are now gone, killed with their families, buried with their dreams and the nightmares that haunted them. We call on Israel to stop this madness: children must be protected. Their homes must not be targets. Schools must not be targets. Spare these children and their families. Stop bombing them now,” he added.

One of the 11 children, the 15-year-old Lina Iyad Sharir was assisted by NRC and was killed along with both her parents on May 11 in Gaza City’s Al Manara neighbourhood. Her sister, 2-year-old Mina remains in critical condition. As several other kids lost their lives, Egeland urged to “spare more civilians” while adding, “But the truth is that there can be no peace or security as long as there are systemic injustices. The siege of Gaza needs to be lifted and the occupation of Palestinians must end if we are to avoid more trauma and death among children and new cycles of destruction every few years."

Hamas Claims Victory In Conflict With Israel

A senior figure among Palestinian militants ruling Gaza, Hamas claimed victory in the conflict with Israel on May 21 in a speech to thousands of people who were celebrating the ceasefire that came into effect. As per reports, the second most senior member of the Islamist movement’s political bureau in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya said, “This is the euphoria of victory” while pledging to reconstruct the homes that were destroyed by Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes.

The Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire was brokered by Egypt and it included Gaza's second-most powerful armed group, Islamic Jihad. Both sides agreed on May 20 evening and it came into effect on Friday after the global pressure on Isreal and Palestine mounted for ending the violence and spare civilians from the bloodshed.

IMAGE: AP/nrc.no