UN Commission accuses Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza

An independent United Nations Commission of Inquiry has accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, describing the actions as part of an ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

In a report released on Tuesday, the commission said Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused “unprecedented death, injury and trauma” among children. The findings build on an earlier conclusion by the same commission that Israel had committed genocide during the conflict.

According to the report, the continued killing and injury of children — even after the October 2025 ceasefire — demonstrates what the commission described as genocidal intent aimed at destroying the Palestinian population.

“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,” said Srinivasan Muralidhar, chairman of the commission.

Israeli authorities strongly rejected the allegations. Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as “a propaganda piece,” while Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, described it as “a political blood libel disguised as a UN document.”

Danon accused the commission of ignoring Hamas’ actions during the conflict, including the October 7 attacks and the group’s alleged use of civilians as human shields.

The UN report also examined conditions in Gaza following the ceasefire, alleging that continued Israeli airstrikes and restrictions on humanitarian and medical aid have severely harmed children’s health, development and survival.

It highlighted what it called a systematic pattern of attacks on hospitals, health clinics and reproductive healthcare facilities, warning of long-term physical and psychological consequences for children.

Although the US-backed ceasefire brokered in October formally ended two years of war, the commission noted that violence has persisted at lower levels. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,000 Palestinians — including over 250 children — have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire began.

Israel has maintained that Hamas repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement and refused to disarm. Reconstruction efforts in Gaza have also stalled, with Israeli authorities continuing restrictions on building materials and heavy equipment.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israeli forces now control approximately 70 percent of Gaza, despite earlier plans under US President Donald Trump’s peace proposal for a gradual Israeli withdrawal and deployment of an international security force.

The report said Israel has steadily expanded military-controlled areas in Gaza by shifting designated boundary lines westward, further limiting the territory accessible to Palestinians. Palestinian officials claim hundreds of civilians have been shot for approaching these zones.

The commission also examined conditions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, accusing Israeli forces and settlers of escalating violence against Palestinian children.

It stated that the Israeli military has used “unreasonable, excessive and punitive force” against children as part of broader efforts of control and intimidation.

Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem reported that 236 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023.

The report further cited mass arrests and detentions of Palestinian children in both Gaza and the West Bank, noting that many detained children in Gaza remain missing or unaccounted for.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the findings, saying the report underscores the international community’s failure to stop violations against Palestinian children and hold perpetrators accountable.

The commission urged Israel to immediately halt military operations in Gaza and comply with international laws protecting children. It also called on UN member states to arrest Israeli officials wanted by the International Criminal Court, suspend arms transfers to Israel and impose sanctions on Israeli officials and settlers.