UN Inquiry Accuses Israel of Deliberately Targeting Palestinian Children in Gaza
At least 20,179 Palestinian children were killed between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025.
Displaced Palestinians, including many children, wait in long queues to receive hot meals distributed by a charitable organization in Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine on June 07, 2026. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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n independent United Nations commission has accused Israeli authorities and security forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian children during the war in Gaza, actions it said amount to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The findings, released Tuesday, drew an immediate and forceful rejection from Israel, which described the report as a “libelous sham” that ignored the conduct of Hamas.
The report was issued by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and examines alleged violations committed against Palestinian children in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023.
According to the commission, children accounted for approximately 30 percent of all fatalities during the Gaza conflict, a proportion significantly higher than in previous rounds of fighting. Investigators concluded that Israeli military operations caused an unprecedented level of harm to children and that evidence pointed to deliberate targeting in some cases.
“The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces,” commission chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said in a statement accompanying the report.
Genocidal intent
The commission argued that the killing of children was a central factor in establishing a genocidal intent against Palestinians in Gaza. According to the report, Israeli military operations continued to result in child casualties even after a ceasefire took effect in October 2025.
Investigators said Israeli forces repeatedly employed high-payload munitions and weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated residential neighborhoods despite mounting evidence of civilian and child casualties.
The report stated that such attacks, which caused exceptionally high numbers of child deaths, indicated intentional conduct. It further argued that Palestinian children were targeted collectively because Israeli security forces viewed the broader civilian population as being associated with Hamas and other armed groups operating in Gaza.
The commission concluded that these actions contributed to efforts aimed at destroying the Palestinian population in Gaza, in whole or in part.
Thousands of children killed
According to figures cited in the report, at least 20,179 Palestinian children were killed between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025.
The commission noted that children represented roughly 30 percent of all fatalities during that period. By comparison, children accounted for about 24 percent of conflict-related deaths during previous Gaza conflicts in 2008–2009 and 2014.
Investigators said the scale of child deaths, combined with patterns of military operations, distinguished the current conflict from earlier wars.
The report also highlighted the broader humanitarian consequences of the conflict on Gaza’s youngest residents. It said repeated displacement, destruction of homes, shortages of food and medicine, and restrictions on humanitarian assistance severely damaged children’s health, development, and psychological well-being.
Impact on health and future generations
Beyond direct casualties, the commission found that attacks on healthcare facilities and reproductive services had long-term effects on children and families.
The report documented rising miscarriages, deteriorating conditions for newborns, and severe strain on Gaza’s medical infrastructure. Investigators warned that the destruction of healthcare services had undermined the survival prospects of infants and young children.
The commission further reported that nearly all children in Gaza now require psychological support due to trauma caused by the conflict, displacement, loss of family members, and prolonged exposure to violence.
Muralidhar said the targeting of children threatened not only individual lives but also the future existence of the Palestinian people.
“By targeting children, Israel is undermining the capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and determine their future,” he said.
Israel rejects findings
Israel strongly rejected the commission’s conclusions.
In a statement issued by its mission in Geneva, Israel described the report as a politically motivated attack and accused investigators of ignoring the actions of Hamas.
“Israel dismisses this libelous sham,” the statement said.
Israeli officials rejected allegations that children were deliberately targeted and insisted that the military takes extensive measures to minimize civilian casualties during military operations.
The Israeli response emphasized efforts to facilitate vaccinations, allow medical personnel into Gaza, and establish field hospitals during the conflict. It also accused Hamas of diverting humanitarian aid and fuel intended for civilian use, allegations the Palestinian group has consistently denied.
Israel has repeatedly challenged the commission’s previous findings. In an earlier report released in September, the same inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and accused senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of inciting such acts. Israel rejected those allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
Findings on the West Bank
The commission also examined conditions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, where it reported a significant increase in violence against Palestinian children.
Investigators documented incidents involving Israeli settlers and security forces and reported evidence of torture, sexual violence, and other forms of abuse during arrests and detention.
The report said Palestinian children, particularly boys, were subjected to forced stripping, beatings, humiliation, and deprivation of food while in detention facilities.
According to the commission, these practices constituted crimes against humanity, including torture and other inhumane acts causing serious suffering.
Israel disputed those findings as well, arguing that the report failed to acknowledge the security threats faced by Israeli forces and the broader context of militant attacks in the West Bank.
The release of the report is likely to intensify international scrutiny of Israel’s conduct during the Gaza war and add to growing diplomatic pressure surrounding allegations of war crimes and violations of international law. The findings are expected to fuel renewed debate within international institutions over accountability, civilian protection, and the long-term humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
(Source: Reuters)
