GAZA — The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a statement on Monday warning that children are increasingly unprotected as humanitarian groups and rights defenders scale back operations in the Palestinian territories. The statement was issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child stated that many civil society and aid organisations in Gaza and the West Bank have been labelled terrorists by pro-Israel groups or politicians. The committee stated, "For more than three decades, these organisations have played a vital role in defending Palestinian children, including in the Israeli military courts, and in documenting grave violations against Palestinian children at the hands of Israeli forces."

The committee said these tactics made it increasingly impossible for organisations to operate safely or protect children and families. These tactics include military raids, travel bans, personal financial sanctions, threats of arrest, destruction of records, and threats of secondary sanctions against partners who support their work. The committee stated, "Without them, Palestinian children will be even less protected, and violations of their rights risk continuing with impunity."

The committee urged Israeli authorities to lift restrictions faced by humanitarian individuals and groups. It also called on the international community to hold Israeli authorities accountable for attacks committed against Palestinian human rights defenders.

In February 2026, 17 international aid groups petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to be allowed to continue working in the Gaza Strip and other areas in the occupied Palestinian territory. The Israeli government has planned to halt the work of international aid groups in the occupied Palestinian territory. Separately, Israel banned Doctors Without Borders (MSF) from operating in Gaza after the organisation failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff.