UN Report Alleges Deliberate Targeting of Palestinian Children
A new report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry has accused Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The commission states that Israeli authorities and security forces have committed genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
The report alleges that Israel has “deliberately carried out acts inflicting death and severe bodily and mental harm on hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children”, continuing even after the October 2025 ceasefire in Gaza. According to the commission, these acts “form part of a deliberate strategy to destroy the future of the Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children”.
Israel Rejects Findings as 'Libellous Sham'
Israel’s foreign ministry strongly rejected the findings, calling the report a “libellous sham” and “a propaganda piece as outrageous as its previous ones”. It accused the commission of ignoring Hamas’ use of children as human shields and failing to recognise Israeli children killed or kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Israel insists its military operations are conducted in self-defence, in line with international law, and aimed at defeating Hamas and securing the release of hostages.
Death Toll in Gaza
Since the October 2023 Hamas attack, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, Israel has launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that at least 73,035 people have been killed, including more than 21,280 children. These figures are considered reliable by the UN. Gaza’s health ministry also says that more than 1,020 Palestinians, including 265 children, have been killed since the ceasefire agreement last October. Israel reports that four of its soldiers have also died during this period.
Methods of Targeting Children
The commission’s report details how Palestinian children have been directly targeted: precision weapons such as quadcopter drones and snipers aimed at vital organs; high-impact strikes on residential buildings, schools, and displacement camps; attacks on neonatal and paediatric hospitals, dismantling access to life-saving care; restrictions on humanitarian aid, leading to acute and chronic malnutrition; arrests, torture, and ill-treatment of adolescent boys in detention facilities; and documented incidents of sexual and gender-based violence during arrests. The report also highlights how attacks on schools and mass displacement have disrupted education, undermining the intellectual and social foundations of Palestinian society.
Commission Chair's Statement
Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the commission, said: “Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law.” He added: “By targeting children, Israel is attacking the very capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and to determine their future.”
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently hearing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has dismissed the case as “wholly unfounded” and based on “biased and false claims”. A final ruling could take years. The commission, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021, does not officially speak for the UN but continues to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
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