Trapped children in Gaza, the Flotilla, and Europe’s Double Standards
The images of the interception of the Gaza Sumud Flotilla trying to deliver aid and the devastation left across Gaza are flooding our screens: siege, bombardments, acute malnutrition, full disregard for international law and mass destruction, all carried out without accountability. Europe must act now to stop the violence and ensure children trapped in Gaza are safely reunited with their families in Europe.
What we are witnessing is not only a humanitarian catastrophe but also a profound test of international law and moral consistency.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child condemned the use of starvation of children as a weapon of war:
"Confirmed reports indicate horrific levels of killing, maiming, and widespread violence against children. Countless children have lost parents, siblings, and extended family members, leaving them in profound grief and with extreme psychological trauma that will affect their lives for years to come. [...] Israel’s ongoing actions constitute outright violations that strike at the very heart of the rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” the Committee stressed.
Lack of an adequate response
As we mentioned in our last statement, Israel’s war on children continues to expose a deep double standard in Europe’s approach to human rights. Comparable violations committed elsewhere have regularly sparked strong responses. Yet in this case, the reaction remains muted and inconsistent.
The initiatives proposed by European leaders and announced during the State of the Union speech, so far, remain delayed, fragmented, and far from the decisive action the crisis demands. Calls for humanitarian access, ceasefires, and accountability mechanisms have been drowned in procedural delays, carefully worded statements, and political caution.
This hesitation is not neutral and erodes the credibility of institutions that claim to defend human rights. Across Europe, masses are taking to the streets in protest. In Italy, a nationwide strike supported by trade unions halted the country for a full day on 22 September, and crowded demonstrations were organised in major European cities. The message from citizens and civil society is clear: people will not stand silently in the face of war crimes. Yet these demonstrations reveal a painful gap between public outrage and the response of governments and international institutions.
Solidarity with Palestine has also met repression, censorship and violence, as a briefing from the European Civic Forum reveals. Police brutality against activists, raids and free speech crackdowns are happening across Europe.
A safe exit
We strongly support the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC) in its call on the EU and Member States to enforce family reunification decisions involving children trapped in Gaza. Many children remain in Gaza despite having already received positive family reunification decisions from European governments. These children and their families are entitled to safety and to the protection of their fundamental rights. The European Union and all its Member States must act without delay to guarantee a safe exit from Gaza for these children and their families. Anything less represents not only a failure of responsibility but also a breach of commitments to uphold children’s rights under EU law and international human rights standards.
Now is the moment to step up: show consistency, embody courage, demand accountability.
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