The silence from Canadian parliamentarians and senators rings loud!

In Gaza:

• Every day, Israel murders approximately 27 children—that is an entire classroom full of Palestinian children.
• WHO states that approximately 12,000 children under 5 years old are acutely malnourished, the highest number on record. A total of about 320,000 children are at risk of acute malnutrition — which will lead to a long-term health crisis.
• At least 303 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by starvation, including 117 children.
• In May 2025, over 940 children required limb amputations. Overall, the genocide has caused an increase in limb amputation cases in Gaza of over 225%.
• Children have been particularly susceptible to the increase in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) – a life-threatening neurological condition that can result from infections. The Israeli imposed starvation means that children do not even have the basic nutrition needed to respond to treatment.

This does not even begin to describe the targeting of Palestinian children in the West Bank. In July alone, Defense for Children International Palestine documented the murder of at least 8 Palestinian boys in the West Bank. The average age? 15 years old.

Despite speaking up for Palestine (such as through an endorsement of the Vote Palestine platform or signing a statement condemning Israel’s genocide), many MPs and Senators have failed to take further action.

This is evidenced by the complete silence of  MPs and Senators to calls to endorse the Protect Palestinian Children Campaign. A campaign centered on action.

It is not only about condemning Israel’s killing, injuring, and detaining of Palestinian children, and the trauma that is being inflicted on children through the military occupation and genocide. It is also about taking action by insisting on an immediate two-way arms embargo by Canada and demanding that Canada take immediate and urgent steps to insist Israel comply with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the July 2024 ICJ Advisory Opinion.

We call on those who endorsed the Vote Palestine platform to fulfill your campaign promises. We call on those of who have endorsed a two-way arms embargo to take further action through this campaign. We call on those of who have released statements to move towards tangible action.

Canada has only paid lip service, they continue to fail to take any meaningful action. While they condemn Israel’s failure to prevent famine and the settlement plan in the E1 area, they simultaneously continue to fund and resource Israel’s genocide, occupation, and apartheid. They also continue to allow illegal recruiting for the Israeli military. They must stop this and take action against individuals returning from Israeli military service who have committed war crimes.

It is (past) time to act. Reach out to Canadian members of Parliament and Senators today and ask them to take action for Palestinian children. Call, email, meet with your MPs, go to their open houses and summer community barbecues. Demand they act.

This campaign amplifies the decades long work of groups like Al-Haq and Defense for Children International Palestine.

MPs who have endorsed the campaign:

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Heather McPherson, Gord Johns, Elizabeth May, Salma Zahid, Don Davies, Alexandre Boulerice

The MPs who have shown support for Palestine (through the Vote Palestine platform and/or Arms Embargo Now campaign) but failed to endorse this campaign include:

Sima Acan, Fares Al Soud, Shafqat Ali, Christ Bittle, Sean Casey, Shaun Chen, Leah Gazan, Iqra Khalid, Ernie Klassen, Jenny Kwan, Tim Louis, Alexandra Mendes, Jacques Ramsay, Aslam Rana, Gurbux Saini, Jenna Sudds, Kristina Tesser Derksen, Adam Van Koeverden, Patrick Weiler, Sameer Zuberi

The Senators who have shown support for Palestine by calling for an Arms Embargo but havae failed to endorse this campaign include:

Mohammad Al Zaibak, Yvonne Boyer, Bev Busson, Bernadette Clement, Mary Coyle, Marty Deacon, Tony Dean, Baltej Dhillon, Éric Forest, Rosa Galvez, Amina Gerba, Margo Greenwood, Katherine Hay, Tony Ince, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Joan Kingston, Jane MacAdam, Marnie McBean, Mary McCallum, John McNair, Marilou McPhedran, Julie Miville-Dechêne, Rosemary Moodie, Tracy Muggli, Manuelle Oudar, Kim Pate, Jim Quinn, Pierrette Ringuette, Paulette Senior, Yuen Woo, Suze Youance, Hassan Yussuff

For almost a decade civil society has asked elected officials to tell Israel this is “no way to treat a child.”

It is telling that members of parliament and senators can’t condemn Israel’s actions toward Palestinian children, even after almost two years of genocide.

This is a call we make in solidarity with Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP).

Read more about Protecting Palestinian Children Now.