Al Jazeera
centerDEVELOPINGOur life stops’: West Bank childhood shattered by Israeli military raids
Full BriefGenerated 1h ago
What Happened
On 2 July 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released a report titled 'The essence of childhood has been destroyed', documenting the killing of at least 20,179 Palestinian children and wounding of over 44,000 since October 2023, with a focus on deliberate targeting in Gaza and a sharp rise in violence in the West Bank. In the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, children described frequent Israeli military raids, including a football match interrupted by soldiers and a piano lesson halted by tear gas. In the first nine months of 2025, Israeli forces conducted nearly 7,500 raids across the occupied West Bank, a 37% increase from 2024, averaging 27 per day. The report details mass arrests, torture, sexual violence, attacks on 85 West Bank schools, and the separation of detained children from parents without legal representation, which it says can amount to enforced disappearance. Psychologist Lemis Farraj from the Shorouq organization described 'continuous traumatic stress' distinct from PTSD, as children face repeated shocks with no single event to recover from.
Key Actors
- ·Israeli military (IDF)(Occupying force conducting raids in the West Bank)Carried out nearly 7,500 raids in the first nine months of 2025, a 37% increase over the same period in 2024; soldiers used live fire and tear gas in Dheisheh, according to child witnesses.
- ·UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory(UN investigative body)Released a report concluding that Israel's deliberate targeting of children in Gaza constituted part of a genocide, and documenting mass detentions, torture, and attacks on schools in the West Bank.
- ·Palestinian children in Dheisheh refugee camp(Residents and victims of military raids)Described repeated incursions that halt daily life, cause lasting fear, and constitute 'continuous traumatic stress', per psychologist Lemis Farraj of Shorouq.
- ·Lemis Farraj(Psychologist and project coordinator at Shorouq in Dheisheh)Diagnosed children with continuous traumatic stress, noting regression and loss of skills, and emphasized that trauma is intergenerational.
Why It Matters
The UN report's findings, including allegations of genocide-scale targeting of children, add to legal and diplomatic pressure on Israel amid ongoing ICC and ICJ proceedings. The sharp rise in West Bank raids and settler violence threatens to further destabilize the occupied territory and undermine prospects for a political resolution. Child trauma narratives humanize the conflict and may influence international public opinion and policy on arms transfers or sanctions.
Watch For
UN member state reactions to the report, particularly from the US and EU; any formal referral to the ICC or update in ICJ proceedings; Israeli military announcements on West Bank operations or settlement expansion; responses from Palestinian armed groups or new waves of violence; and NGO reports on psychological impacts.
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