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KUALA LUMPUR - Protecting Palestinian children is not solely the responsibility of the Palestinian people but a universal humanitarian obligation that requires collective action from international institutions, communities and the media, a Palestinian expert said.
Palestinian researcher specialising in media, children's issues and international law, Dr Walaa Battat, said Palestinian children continue to require various forms of assistance, including psychological, medical, educational and legal support, as well as international protection to safeguard their rights.
"The Israeli regime's aggression has destroyed much of Gaza's educational and healthcare infrastructure, depriving hundreds of thousands of children of their right to education, while tens of thousands have lost one or both parents,” she told Bernama in an interview conducted in Arabic on Monday.
On the role of the media, she stressed the need to renew reporting approaches so that coverage does not focus solely on figures and statistics, but also highlights the human stories that reflect the lives and suffering of victims in order to raise global awareness.
Walaa said some international media outlets portray Palestinian victims merely as statistics or produce coverage influenced by political considerations, underscoring the need to reassess news priorities so that reporting is aligned with the principles of human rights and international law.
Walaa, who is also President of the Arab International Centre for Research and Strategic Studies, praised Palestinian digital media for playing a vital role in conveying the Palestinian narrative to the world despite the challenges faced while carrying out their work.
In addition to risking their lives, Walaa said journalists on the ground have also had to contend with damaged equipment and the destruction of media organisations' premises caused by attacks by the Zionist regime, making reporting even more difficult.
Currently in Malaysia at the invitation of several local universities to deliver lectures, Walaa said the situation in Palestine has driven her to seek various mechanisms to protect children through different approaches, including scientific research, community initiatives and institutional work at both the national and international levels.
Among these is the "Their Names Are Not Numbers" campaign, launched in May with the participation of academics, media practitioners, members of parliament, diplomats and human rights activists from various countries.
Held annually, the campaign aims to document the names and dreams of Palestinian children killed in the war while sharing their stories with the international community.
According to Walaa, the initiative by the Arab International Centre for Research and Strategic Studies forms part of several ongoing projects, including the establishment of a Palestinian archive to document the names of children and the publication of a book recording the various rights violations committed against them.
"I hope that documentation efforts, media coverage and pressure from the international community will lead to stronger legal protections and better safeguards for Palestinian children in the future,” she said.
Meanwhile, Walaa praised and expressed her appreciation for the consistent support shown by the Malaysian government and people for the Palestinian cause, expressing hope that such solidarity would continue to grow so that the issue remains on the global agenda.
"Despite the many challenges we face, the Palestinian people will remain steadfast in defending our homeland and our rights through legal means,” she said. - BERNAMA
