In war, we are told that truth dies first. Today, something even more disturbing is happening: the deaths of children are being explained and justified. That is not just a tragedy; it is a dangerous shift in how we see human life. Children do not start wars. They do not carry weapons. They do not choose sides. Yet, when violence begins, their lives are often the first to be lost.

War is usually described in terms of power, strategy and victory. But in reality, it becomes something else: a storm where those who create it remain protected, while the smallest and weakest are left exposed.

The deeper problem today is not only that children are dying. It is that their deaths are slowly being accepted. The killing of innocent civilians, including children, is often called “collateral damage”, as if their deaths are an acceptable cost in pursuit of a larger goal. This language does more than describe; it excuses. It allows powerful actors to avoid responsibility and weakens the very laws meant to protect children in war.

A recent strike on a school in Minab, Iran, during the first day of a US–Israel attack reportedly killed more than 160 schoolgirls. In minutes, a place of learning turned into a place of grief. Later, these deaths were described as collateral damage. But this term cannot carry the weight of what happened. These were young girls with books, dreams and futures, now reduced to numbers in reports.

Sadly, this is........

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