More than a thousand experts and practitioners from the fields of child psychology, child welfare, childhood trauma, and the rights of children have signed an open letter to Secretary-General of the UN Antonio Guterres calling on the international community to demand the immediate release of all children kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 and held captive in the Gaza Strip.
Of the 230 hostages in Gaza, about 30 are children, the letter noted. "Six of these children are babies, some of them still nursing." The letter noted that "some of the abductees are in need of medication, special nutrition, or treatment."
"Among them are Kfir, a 9-month-old baby still breastfeeding, and Avigail, a 3-year-old who witnessed the savage murder of her parents."
"Time is swiftly slipping away," the experts write, "each passing day posing an imminent, existential peril to the lives and wellbeing of these vulnerable infants and children." The children are now exposed to post-traumatic disorders, emotional problems, harsh behavioral problems, and cognitive damage, the experts say, calling these outcomes "non-reversible."
'Every minute leaves its lifetime mark'
"Every day, every hour, every minute spent in captivity leaves its lifetime mark on the souls and bodies of the children," the authors of the letter say, "and deepens their injury into continued and irreparable damage. The longer these children are being imprisoned, the harsher the outcomes that will adversely impact their lives."
The experts noted that "Any injury to children in warfare is terrible and intolerable," and that "this applies to children in Israel and in Gaza, who have all suffered from the conflict for years." But, they note, the children kidnapped by Hamas were targeted deliberately, which marks "an entirely new level of violence."
This also marks a unique level of illegality under international law, the authors say, to which the international community is obligated legally, not just morally, to respond to. "The widespread, intentional, and systematic attack on civilians constitutes a crime against humanity," they note. "Abduction and arbitrary, incommunicado detention constitute a violation of every relevant standard set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose core applies to non-state actors like Hamas."
Hamas's actions are also in violation of agreements to which Palestine (as a UN non-member observer state) is a signatory, the experts note. They name specifically the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, articles 6, 9, and 19, which concern the right to life and development, non-separation from parents, and protection from violence of all kinds, respectively. The letter also cites the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
"We beseech leaders worldwide to unite in the common cause of releasing these kidnapped children," the letter concludes. "Will we forsake them to endure torment, fear, and harm beyond repair or will we rise to the occasion and rescue them from this dire predicament?"
UN has not condemned Hamas by name
The letter is addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. So far, the United Nations has called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of all civilians held captive by all parties to the conflict, but no resolution has passed condemning Hamas by name. Many of the tens-of-thousands-strong protests in support of the Palestinian cause in cities around the globe have also declined to condemn the Hamas attack or to call for the release of Israeli hostages.
The proper response to the hostage crisis is a matter of controversy within Israel. An organization representing the families of those held captive met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night, and called for an 'all-for-all' exchange of Israeli captives in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.