April 10, 2009

Ministry of Social Affairs in the Gaza Strip reported that the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip left 1500 children orphans, in addition to killing 437 children and wounding 1500 others.

Ahmad Al Kurd, Minister of Social Affairs, stated on Friday that the Israeli army targeted women and children, and it’s shelling targeted homes, hospitals, educational facilities and even mosques.

He said that the large number of killed and wounded children proves that Israel did not hesitate in targeting civilian areas.

This is besides the fact that nearly 1346 children lost a parent or both parents during the war.

The army killed 1434 Palestinians, including 960 civilians, during the war on Gaza. Among the slain residents were 437 children under the age of 16, 110 women, 123 elderly, 14 physicians and medics, and four journalists.

The percentage of children killed during the war is more than 45%. 1872 children were wounded.

The Guardian newspaper reported that Israel is facing accusations of committing war crimes in Gaza, including using civilians as human shields.

There are thousands of children who suffered psychological problems due to the shelling and the scenes of death and destructions.

In interviews with human rights groups, several children said that they spend days next to their dead parents as the Israeli shelling was ongoing and medics could not enter the shelled areas to search for survivals.

Anne Finman of the UNICEF stated that she visited a UNICEF Psychological Support Center and the Red Crescent Society in Gaza last March, and witnessed children drawing missiles that targeted their homes; one child drew a dark area under her drawing and said that this is "a place for burying the dead"

Finman stated that the children need professionals and trained Psychologists to help them overcome their trauma as fast as possible.