Istanbul's young hearts deliver solidarity message to peers in Gaza

The Israeli consulate in Istanbul on the weekend witnessed a different kind of gathering from the usual protest against the Israeli government's atrocities against Palestinians.

There was not much shouting, sloganeering or placard waving at the deeply poignant and emotionally-charged gathering, a consortium of organisations committed to advocating the fundamental rights and well-being of children, convened outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.

What truly set the demonstration apart was the presence of a large number of children, who gathered in a powerful show of solidarity with Palestinian children.

Their gesture was heartrending: they placed a collection of toys, universally recognised as symbols of innocence and joy, at the entrance of the consulate. It served as a powerful channel to amplify the voices of Palestinian children who have endured a heavy toll of the prolonged Israeli aggression, facing the unbearable reality of loss, orphanhood, detention and displacement.

Mahinur, an eight-year-old at the gathering, called upon the children of Gaza not to lose hope.

For the children of Gaza, the situation is dire. A grim statistic reveals that the life of one child is tragically lost every 15 minutes amid the relentless Israeli bombardment in Gaza since October 7, underlined by the Palestinian local charity Defense for Children Palestine.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that no less than 1,756 Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza by Israeli attacks during the recent aggression, with over 4,000 more left injured and many more traumatised.

Gaza is known for its significant population density, with almost half of its residents being children under the age of 18, all enduring the weight of a continuous siege that has persisted since 2005.

At just 15 years of age, every teenager in Gaza has already witnessed and endured five significant Israeli military onslaughts during their young lives.

Palestinian children who have survived deadly Israeli bombings have had to endure the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In a sobering report, UNICEF estimated that in 2022, approximately 678,000 children in Palestine, including both boys and girls, were in dire need of child protection, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services.

UNRWA, actively operating in Gaza, has managed 183 schools dedicated to nurturing the well-being of Palestinian children. Not only have these schools been educational centres, but have also doubled as shelters for the people of Gaza during recurring and devastating military escalations.

But in this current round of Israeli attacks, not even the schools have been spared. Israeli warplanes targeted a home near Ahmed Abdelaziz School on Thursday, administered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Khan Younis refugee camp, as the Wafa news agency officially reported. At least nine Palestinians were killed, including seven children.

In addition to the military offensives in Gaza, the routine arrest of Palestinian children, particularly in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank, remains a common strategy employed by Israeli forces to demoralise and dehumanise Palestinians. This tactic permits authorities to subject children to psychological and physical torment, as well as threats and intimidation, occasionally involving the use of dogs.

It has been revealed that every year, approximately 500 to 700 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years old, find themselves detained and prosecuted within the Israeli military court system, a report released by Defense for Children Palestine says. The predominant accusation brought against children is stone-throwing, an offence that under Israeli military law, carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Till June 2023, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) had 147 Palestinian minors in its custody. These detentions were carried out on what the IPS categorised as "security" grounds, according to B'Tselem – the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories.

The children who participated in the gathering in Istanbul were painfully aware of the recent tragedies in Gaza, including the shocking and unacceptable targeting of hospitals.

Amidst this solemn backdrop, Sumeyye Altun, the head of the Children of Earth association, which organised the gathering, stated, "We, as today's adults, have faltered in our duty to safeguard the rights of children. But we believe that today's children will shape tomorrow's world."

"For this reason, we will cultivate the next generation to be ardent defenders of the rights of the oppressed against the tyranny of the oppressors."

Meanwhile, Eylul Asya, a 10-year-old, conveyed her heartfelt prayers and deep-seated concerns for her sisters and brothers in Gaza.

The participants thoughtfully arranged the toys they had brought in front of the consulate, symbolising the countless Palestinian children who have been cruelly affected and traumatised by Israeli military actions in Gaza.

The significance of these toys, however, reached beyond the symbolism. These cherished items will soon be sent to children living in earthquake-affected regions in southeastern Türkiye, underscoring a commitment to the well-being of children that transcends the confines of this gathering. The volunteers say they are hoping to send toys to the children of Gaza in the coming days.

Yusuf Emir, a nine-year-old, offered his heartfelt message to his Palestinian peers, saying that "the war will end soon."