There are no safe places to go in Gaza: UK children's charity

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Humanitarian access through safe, secure routes to get to children is desperately needed in the embattled Gaza Strip as right now, nowhere is safe, warned the head of a UK charity for children on Wednesday.

"Our teams and their families on the ground in Gaza are terrified; there are no safe places to go," James Denselow, head of conflict and humanitarian advocacy at Save the Children UK, told Anadolu after several days of Israeli airstrikes on the enclave.

Calling the violence against children across the region "completely unacceptable," he said violence against children has been widespread since last weekend, when Israel began its airstrikes after Saturday’s attacks by Palestinian group Hamas.

"The killing and maiming of children, the abduction of children, attacks on their schools and hospitals are all defined by the UN as grave violations, and those responsible should be held to account for their actions," added Denselow.

According to latest official figures, there are over 200 children among the more than 1,000 Palestinians who have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past five days.

He stressed the need for immediate establishment of humanitarian access, through safe and secure routes, to get to children.

"With every airstrike, rocket, and bullet fired, children’s sense of security is ripped away," underlined Denselow, pointing to the attacks' impact on the children who survive.

"If violence escalates further, children’s lives and futures will be the inevitable cost."

He called for de-escalation and ending violence as "the only way" to protect children’s lives.

"We urge all parties to do their utmost to protect children and abide by international humanitarian law," added Denselow.

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began on Saturday when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air. Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip. Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

At least 1,200 Israelis and 900 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.

Save the Children UK has also launched an emergency fund to quickly help children survive the emergency, saying: "We are deeply concerned about the plight of Palestinian and Israeli children."