Stop killing innocent children in the war

More than 10,000 have been killed since the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza strip, on Oct. 7. 40 percent of them are estimated to be children. Save the Children said that a child was being killed every 10 minutes in the crowded strip. The death toll will likely accelerate as Israeli ground troops move closer to the center of the territory.

The conflict between Israel and Palestine runs deep. The latest war was triggered by Hamas’ surprise assault and its mass of civilian casualties. But Israel’s brutal retaliation is drawing equal scorn from the rest of the world. The air raids on hospitals and refugee camps are being denounced. The kidnapping and slaughter of children and civilians on both sides has invited a flurry of condemnation from the international community.

All states must abide by international humanitarian law, often dubbed the law of war, which is applied to armed conflicts and military occupations. The modern versions of the rules since the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) — which took effect in 2002 after its adoption in 1998 — are focused on protecting civilians during war. The United Nations Charter and the ICC have three decisive principles — distinction, proportionality and precaution — that restrict attacks to combatants and military objectives, preventing incidental loss of civilian lives and injuries and mandating specific precautions to minimize civilian casualties.

But both Israel and Hamas have outright ignored international protocols. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lamented that the Gaza Strip was becoming a “graveyard for children.” He demand a ceasefire as the “nightmare in Gaza is more than a humanitarian crisis. It is a crisis of humanity.” U.S. President Joe Biden discussed a “humanitarian” pause of the Gaza conflict with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but failed to convince him. Netanyahu declared that there cannot be a ceasefire unless Israeli hostages are released. The release of the hostages might provide temporary relief, but it’s still uncertain how long a ceasefire would last is uncertain.

Regardless of the conflict’s complexities, the victimization of civilians must not be condoned. The UN overwhelmingly passed Jordan’s proposal for an immediate ceasefire in the strip on Oct. 27. But that resolution lacks binding force, and has not made an impact.

The UN Security Council will hold a meeting to discuss the matter on Thursday. The decision by five permanent members on the bill drafted by 10 non-permanent members could have a bigger effect. The UN must come up with a fast and detailed resolution to end this terrible disaster.