Jan Egeland, NRC's Secretary General said:
“I am deeply heartbroken by the news that three children who received trauma support and joined our education activities were among those killed during the escalation in Gaza over the weekend. I send my condolences to their families and friends.
“Our teams in Gaza had worked with the three boys to help them overcome the traumatic events they experienced during last year’s May escalation. These children were needlessly killed in a conflict they had nothing to do with. They should have been allowed to dream of a better, safer future.
“We call for a full investigation to hold the perpetrators to account. Once again, it is the children of Gaza who have to pay with their lives, this suffering cannot be allowed to go on.
“As long as Israel continues its siege and occupation of Gaza, there can be no long-term solution to this tragedy and vicious cycle of violence.”
Notes to editors:
• Hamed, 16; Mohammad, 16; and Nathmi, 15, were all in the tenth grade.
• They took part in NRC’s Better Learning Programme (BLP). Through this programme, NRC supports children in Gaza to recover from traumatic experiences.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
• Ahmed Bayram, Regional Media and Communications Adviser, Middle East Regional Office: ahmed.bayram@nrc.no; +962 7 9016 0147
• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no; +47 905 62329
