A child is a child — everywhere
Leave the Children
Innocent.
They did not choose the war. They did not start it. They cannot end it.
In Palestine and in every place touched by conflict, children are being bombed, starved, orphaned, detained and frightened beyond what any child can bear. They are owed safety, food, water, medicine, school, freedom from torture, and a future. The world is watching. The world must act.
What every child is owed
Not charity. Rights, written into international law, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Geneva Conventions.
“A nation’s treatment of its children is the measure of its conscience — and the world’s treatment of all children is the measure of ours.”
A reminder, not a headline.
No child in a cell.
No child in torture.
Torture is banned absolutely under international law, in every circumstance. The Convention on the Rights of the Child says detention of a child must be a last resort, for the shortest possible time, with no cruel or degrading treatment. We demand that the United States and Israel, like every state, obey it.
Israel
UN agencies and human rights groups, including UNICEF, Defense for Children International – Palestine and B’Tselem, have for years documented the military detention of Palestinian children: night arrests, interrogation without a parent or lawyer, and reports of ill-treatment. Israel disputes these characterisations and says it acts within its legal system. The answer is independent monitoring, lawyers and parents present, and an end to any abuse.
United States
Concerns include the detention of migrant children and families, the solitary confinement of juveniles in custody, and the history of Guantánamo, where Omar Khadr was held after being captured at age 15. A country that claims to defend human rights must not hold or mistreat children.
No exceptions. No double standards.
The same rule applies to everyone. Hamas and every armed group must never take children hostage or use them in war. Every government, in every country, must stop jailing, hurting or exploiting children.
Our demands
- 🔒 Release children held without proper cause; detention only as a last resort.
- ⚖️ A lawyer and a parent present at every interview.
- 🔎 Independent monitors with unrestricted access to detention sites.
- 🚫 Zero tolerance for torture, solitary confinement and humiliation of children.
- 📜 Investigation and accountability for anyone who abuses a child.
The Vigil
Each flame stands for a child who deserved a full life. Tap to light one. Stay a moment in silence.
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The Pledge
Do something today
Organisations that work with children in crisis. Please verify any charity before donating.
Child protection, nutrition, clean water and schooling in emergencies worldwide.
Save the ChildrenHealth, safety and education for children in conflict and disaster zones.
UNRWAUN agency providing schools, health care and relief to Palestine refugees.
ICRCNeutral humanitarian aid and protection of civilians, wherever there is war.
Médecins Sans FrontièresEmergency medical care for those caught in conflict.
Write to your representatives, demand humanitarian access and the protection of civilians, share verified information, and refuse to dehumanise anyone.
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