Toronto, ON, June 24, 2026 – Plan International is deeply alarmed by the latest findings of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which concludes that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed.

Countless more children have been injured, displaced, traumatized and denied the safety every child deserves.

Getting to school can be too dangerous for some girls, with fear and sexual harassment at military checkpoints forcing them out of classrooms. As hunger, displacement, and the collapse of education push families to breaking point, girls as young as 14 to 16 are being pulled into early marriage and pregnancy – leaving them isolated and taking a devastating toll on their mental health.

In reaction to the report, Plan International’s Global Humanitarian Director, Unni Krishnan, says:

"Children should never be a target.

“Behind every statistic is a child who should be learning, laughing, playing, and dreaming of their future. Instead, children in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory are growing up under bombardment, in fear and uncertainty, without access to the most basic necessities.

“No child should go to sleep hungry. No child should fear that they will not survive the night.

“The world’s failure to protect the children of Gaza is a stain on us all.

“We call on all parties to uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.

“The international community must use every means available to ensure sustained, predictable and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, and to work towards a just and lasting peace.

“The world can no longer look away. There is never any justification for the killing of a child.”

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Children never start wars, but they suffer the most. To support children affected by war and other global crises, visit plancanada.ca/donate/children-in-crisis.

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About Plan International Canada

Plan International Canada is a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships with and for children for over 85 years and is active in more than 80 countries.

We stand with children, especially girls, wherever they are oppressed, exploited, left behind, or not equally valued. We’re determined optimists, and we will continue to persevere until we are all equal.

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