Harere, (New Ziana)- As the world marks Universal Children’s Day on Thursday, the joyful purpose of the observance is painfully eclipsed by the plight of Palestinian children, many of whom continue to endure unimaginable suffering, Palestinian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Tamer Almassri, said.
In a statement, he said since the onset of the conflict in 2023, more than 19,000 students are reported to have died, and 28,000 others have been injured, leaving scarred and fragile minds in their wake.
”The scale of destruction is appalling, with hundreds of schools, kindergartens, early childhood centers, nurseries, and playgrounds completely or partially damaged in Gaza and the West Bank. These institutions, which are meant to be safe havens for learning and growth, have been reduced to rubble, disrupting the education and upbringing of thousands of children,” he said.
He said the chilling figures are not just statistics—they represent a generation caught in the crossfire, their futures uncertain.
These attacks, said Almassri, amount to more than collateral damage but they threaten the very foundation of education in Palestine.
The deliberate targeting of schools and universities undermines not only children’s right to learn, but also their right to recover, heal, and dream. Experts have even coined the term “scholasticide”, warning that the systematic destruction of education infrastructure might amount to a deliberate effort to erase learning itself, he said.
Meanwhile, Almassri strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks across Gaza in densely populated residential areas—places where civilians, including children, sought refuge—as a flagrant violation of ceasefire agreements and basic human decency.
Just this week, he said at least 19 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured, even as winter looms over the displaced.
Since the ceasefire agreed on October 11, 2023, the violence has continued. According to reported figures, 280 Palestinians have died and 672 have been injured since then, bringing the cumulative death toll to approximately 69,513, the majority of whom are women and children.
Human rights advocates and international observers are urging greater accountability.
”As Universal Children’s Day calls on us to reflect on children’s rights, the crisis in Palestine serves as a heartbreaking reminder: the global community must act now, decisively, to defend the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable,” he said.
For many Palestinian children, there may be no return to normalcy without justice—and without a future built on education, protection, and peace.
New Ziana
