A Human Rights Watch (HRW) statement on Monday highlighted the disproportionate harm that children with disabilities in Gaza are suffering as a result of Israel’s violations of humanitarian law, which include military strikes against hospitals, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and the 16-year blockade on the Gaza Strip.

HRW states that the unlawful conditions being imposed on Gaza by Israel make it difficult for children with disabilities to survive. Israeli strikes continue to leave increasing numbers of surviving children with disabilities, many without surviving parents. Children with disabilities require unique, or additional support and for this reason are particularly affected by ongoing shortages of food, water, medical supplies, power and fuel.

Military strikes against civilian non-combatants are prohibited by international humanitarian law, even if there is a presence of combatants among civilians. Israel regularly strikes civilian targets, with an airstrike on a residential building in Lebanon killing the leader of Hezbollah on Friday, the detonation of thousands of pagers injuring thousands of civilians earlier in September and repeated seemingly indiscriminate strikes on schools and hospitals. NBC News reported that in the first week of fighting following October 7th 2023, there were 94 attacks on healthcare facilities by both Israel and Hamas. Disabled children are vulnerable to military strikes, as they are not always able to rapidly follow last-minute evacuation orders.

Under international humanitarian law, blockades are only lawful if they allow the civilian population access to essential goods. Israel has extensively deprived the civilian population of Gaza of access to essential goods including, food, clean drinking water and medical supplies, with “1.1M people, half of Gaza, experiencing catastrophic food insecurity.” This deprives disabled children and their caretakers of resources that are essential to their survival.

Under customary international law, combatants are required by Rule 55 to allow humanitarian aid unimpeded access to civilians in areas of conflict. Israel has both restricted aid to Gaza by closing and limiting traffic through land corridors, and killed humanitarian aid workers in military strikes during the conflict. Many disabled children have been left orphaned by the war, making the support of humanitarian aid organizations even more essential.

HRW calls for the international community to cease supplying Israel with arms until it begins acting within the confines of the laws of war and international humanitarian law.