The world has moved on. Gaza’s children can’t.

Violence has escalated in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Gaza’s children remain cut off from what they need to rebuild their lives and communities. Four out of five children face crisis levels of food insecurity. Families lack access to nutritious food, clean water, and medical care. Children shelter in damaged structures that put them at higher risk of disease. The window for meaningful recovery is now—but only with unrestricted humanitarian access.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

Our 300 Palestinian staff and local partners are in Gaza delivering health and nutrition services, child protection, temporary learning spaces, and water and sanitation support.

But our teams can’t reach children when violence and bureaucratic barriers interrupt the flow of essential supplies. Aid is a right—not a bargaining chip. Save the Children is calling on the Canadian government and the international community to demand the following:

• • A complete cessation in hostilities to preserve lives and allow humanitarian workers to do their jobs
• • All land crossings are opened and fully operational both ways
• • All administrative restrictions on humanitarian access be lifted
• • All parties be held accountable for violations of international humanitarian law

In addition, Save the Children calls on the government of Canada to:

• • Halt the transfer of weapons, ammunition and parts manufactured in Canada that could be used by parties to the conflict to violate international law
• • Suspend the Canada-Israel Free Trade agreement, which gives preferential access to our market, in response to the government of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Should the Canadian government fail to act, it risks complicity in the Government of Israel’s crimes

Humanitarian organizations know how to deliver aid—we have the expertise, the supplies, and the teams ready.

Now is the time to lean in, not step back.

International attention fades. Children’s needs don’t.

The news cycle moved on—but children in Gaza are still waiting. Waiting for food to arrive. Waiting for clean water. Waiting for medicine that’s blocked at borders. Waiting for the world to remember they’re still suffering.

They need advocates who will keep pressure on decision-makers long after the headlines disappear. They need people who will hold governments accountable for their commitments to unrestricted humanitarian access and sustained recovery support.

Your voice is part of that sustained pressure. Stand with Gaza’s children by demanding that all international actors follow through on their commitments: opening crossings, allowing essential supplies to enter, and ensuring families can access the resources they need to rebuild. And that Canada does all in its power to protect children from harm.