Palestine calls on international community to end Israeli violations

Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations Riyad Mansour called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and provide necessary assistance and protection to the Palestinian children and to account violators of international law, notably laws designed to protect children's rights.

In identical letters to the UN Secretary-General , UN Security Council Presidency (Lithuania) , the President of the UN General Assembly, Mansour affirmed the need to put an end to Israeli violations against Palestinian children, noting that there are international standards for the treatment of children and Palestinian children are no exception.

He stressed Israel must comply with its obligations under international law, including the convention on the rights of the Child and its optional protocol on children in armed conflict.

Mansour asked the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict, Leila Zerrougui and the UN Secretary-General to include Israeli forces on the list ,which included in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on children and armed conflict due to grave and systematic violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian children.

He said that this represents an important and necessary step towards accountability of perpetrators of crimes against children and contribute to efforts to end impunity and protection of children in all situations of armed conflict without exception.