Explosive UN findings: ‘Israel’ deliberately targeted Gaza children
Palestinian mother mourns her toddler killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, on October 1, 2024 (AP)
The UN commission documents at least 20,179 children killed between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025, representing around 30% of the overall death toll.
An independent United Nations inquiry has concluded that Israeli occupation authorities and security forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children, leading to:
- Genocide,
- Crimes against humanity,
- War crimes in Gaza,
- as well as war crimes in the occupied West Bank.
The findings were issued on Tuesday by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the eastern part of occupied al-Quds, and “Israel”. The report reviewed violations against Palestinian children since October 7, 2023.
The commission had previously reported in September that “Israel” committed genocide in Gaza and accused senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of incitement.
In response to the latest report, the Israeli mission in Geneva claimed it was a “defamatory advocacy report” and rejected what it termed a “libelous sham”.
Deliberate targeting of children
The UN commission stated that Palestinian children were intentionally targeted and killed throughout the genocide, including after the “ceasefire” that reportedly took effect in October 2025. It said this pattern was central to its conclusion that Israeli authorities demonstrated genocidal intent aimed at destroying the Palestinians in Gaza.
Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the commission, said in a statement that evidence indicated Palestinian children had been deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli forces.
Child casualties and comparison with past wars
According to the report, children accounted for a significantly high share of fatalities. Between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025, at least 20,179 children were killed, representing roughly 30% of all killings in the war.
The commission noted that this proportion exceeded previous Israeli wars on Gaza, where children comprised about 24% of fatalities in the 2008–2009 and 2014 aggressions.
The report said Israeli forces continued using high-yield munitions and wide-impact weapons in densely populated civilian areas despite rising child death tolls. It argued that the scale and nature of these strikes suggested intentional harm, “with children targeted as part of a broader view of the civilian population as associated with armed groups.”
Humanitarian conditions, impact on children
The commission further found that conditions in Gaza, including sustained military operations, repeated displacement, and deprivation of food, medicine, and aid, had severely affected children’s health and development, leading to preventable deaths and widespread trauma.
It also reported that attacks on medical and reproductive healthcare systems harmed newborn survival rates and contributed to increased miscarriages, with nearly all children in Gaza believed to require psychological support.
Findings in the West Bank
In the occupied West Bank, including the eastern part of al-Quds, the commission reported a rise in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian children, along with documented cases of torture, including sexual and gender-based abuse during arrests and detention.
It said Palestinian children, particularly boys, faced systematic mistreatment in custody, including forced stripping, beatings, and deprivation of food.
The commission concluded that such treatment amounted to crimes against humanity, including torture and other inhumane acts causing severe suffering.
Rising death toll in Gaza
The report coincided with the daily statistical report Gaza’s Health Ministry releases on the genocide toll. Gaza hospitals received four Palestinians killed and 20 injuredover 24 hours as a result of the Israeli aggression on the territory.
The death toll included two newly reported killings, one Palestinian who succumbed to earlier wounds, and one body recovered from under the rubble.
It added that a number of victims were still believed to be trapped beneath debris or on roads, saying ambulance and civil defence teams were unable to reach them at present.
Since the “ceasefire” came into effect on October 11, the Ministry said 1,027 people have been killed and 3,280 injured, while 785 bodies of Palestinian martyrs have been retrieved from beneath the rubble.
It also gave cumulative figures for the period since the beginning of the genocide on October 7, 2023, reporting a total of 73,039 killings and 173,388 injuries.