UN News Service Children play football among the ruins in Gaza City. UN Independent Commission: Israeli actions against Palestinian children may indicate genocide International Law
Israeli authorities and security forces continue to commit acts against Palestinian children that may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. This is stated in the new report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the East Jerusalem, and in Israel.
Last year, the Commission already concluded that there were signs of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. New data shows that the scale and systematic nature of Israeli military operations have resulted in unprecedented levels of death, injury and psychological trauma among children. Even after the ceasefire was declared in October 2025, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, independent experts noted.
“Evidence shows that Palestinian children have been targeted and killed by by the Israeli security forces,” said Chairman of the Commission Srinivasan Muralidhar. children.
“Five teenagers – one girl and four boys aged 16-17 years old – came to Zikim Beach early that Saturday morning. They probably just wanted to spend time by the sea, swim and relax, when a Hamas boat approached the shore and started shooting. Teenagers rushed to seek shelter in the toilet building. There they were joined by an adult fisherman and an Israeli soldier who tried to protect them. This proved unsuccessful. The soldier was killed, the fisherman was killed, as were all five teenagers,” Commission expert Chris Sidoti said of the events of October 7, 2023.
Lifelong Consequences
During the subsequent fighting in Gaza, Palestinian children faced severe physical and psychological consequences of war, the report said, including trauma, death of parents, separation from families, disability, repeated displacement, hunger and destruction of health and education systems.
The commission alleges that Palestinian children have been subjected to arrest, torture and ill-treatment in Israeli detention facilities. The report also contains allegations of sexual violence against minors.
According to the authors of the document, attacks on maternity hospitals and neonatal units in Gaza had a negative impact on mortality rates among newborns and the reproductive health of the population. The commission also attributes the Israeli blockade to an increase in the number of miscarriages and congenital pathologies, as well as a deterioration in the health of children due to malnutrition and limited access to medical care. orphanages and educational infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank impede the normal development of children and undermine the foundations of Palestinian society.
“Even if the bombs and guns fall silent in Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinian children will not be able to recover overnight,” Muralidhar stressed. The damage to their health, education and development is irreversible, he said.
The commission also warns of the long-term psychological consequences of the conflict. The document says that many children have lost their sense of security and faith in the future, and the trauma they have experienced can be passed on to future generations.
Call for Accountability
The report’s authors believe that by targeting children, Israel is undermining the Palestinian people’s ability to maintain their identity and determine their own identity. future.
The Commission called on Israel to cease violations of the rights of and crimes against Palestinian children, and to end the ongoing Israeli presence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with the advisory opinion International Court.
The report names units of the Israeli security forces that, according to the investigation, may be involved in the deaths and injuries of Palestinian children. The Commission calls on Israel and UN member states to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice responsibility.
Experts say accountability issues must be an integral part of any political process that includes the full participation of Palestinians, including children.