UAE evacuates nearly 100 Gaza patients as 10,000+ await transfer Abu Dhabi has pledged to bring in 1,000 injured children and 1,000 cancer patients from the Gaza Strip to be treated in the its hospitals. United Arab Emirates
US lawmakers advance bill to block new UN rights for Palestine The House Foreign Affairs Committee also voted on legislation to claw back UNRWA funds and denounce a UN decision to list Israel as an abuser of children’s rights. Palestine
Sudan war rages amid reports of ethnic cleansing, children 'piled up and shot' The Sudanese army and rival paramilitary forces have engaged in heavy battles in el-Fasher, in the Darfur region, amid fears that a full-scale attack on the city will lead to abuse and violations against civilians, as has happened elsewhere in the region. Sudan
Syria, Palestine, Yemen biggest violators of child soldier recruits: UN The report coincides with renewed Russian airstrikes in Syria’s last rebel stronghold of Idlib in the northwest. Syria
UN experts urge Iran to halt execution of juvenile offender Hossein Shahbazi was 17 when he was arrested for fatally stabbing a classmate and was sentenced to death in a trial that reportedly relied on torture-tainted confessions. Iran
Israel greenlights surrogacy for same-sex couples, single men In a historic move, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced last week that as of Jan. 11, surrogacy procedures will be open for everyone in the country, same-sex couples, single men and transgender people included. Israel
Iran executes man jailed for murder as minor Arman Abdolali was sentenced to death after what Amnesty International said was a "grossly unfair trial" that relied on "torture-tainted confessions" he later withdrew. Iran
Israeli minister lambasted for seeking surrogate help The announcement by Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli on her baby being born by an American surrogate mother generated enormous public debate about the issue and about Michaeli’s convictions. Israel
Demands for tougher penalties against child marriage grow in Egypt As child marriage spreads in Egypt, many observers and parliamentarians call for tougher penalties for anyone involved, while some believe that toughening penalties will not be a solution because there are many ways to circumvent laws. Egypt
Half a million children in Lebanon still 'struggling to survive' after Beirut blast A new report from Save the Children found the families of 564,000 children can't afford sufficient food and other basic goods. Lebanon
Syrian Kurdish authorities issue work cards for children The Child Protection Office affiliated with the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in Manbij has started issuing work cards for children ages 10 to 18, in a move it claims aims to avoid forced conscription by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria
US adds Turkey to list of countries using child soldiers A US State Department report called out Turkey for providing support to armed groups in Syria that use children in combat. Turkey
Gaza children deal with psychological trauma month after war Psychologists and specialists in Gaza are working to help children who suffered trauma and support mothers who lost their children during the latest Israeli war. Palestine
Canadian parliament calls on government to repatriate citizens from northeast Syria Few Canadians have been brought home from camps for Islamic State families in northeast Syria, and many remain there. News Brief
50 Gaza schools damaged in Israeli strikes, Save The Children says Amid the heavy fighting, schools remain closed in Gaza and southern Israel “putting education out of reach for hundreds of thousands of children." Israel
