Israel placed on UN blacklist for grave child rights violations

The United Nations released its annual report on children in armed conflict, noting that Israel was listed among the top perpetrators of grave violations against children for the third consecutive year. The report documented 12,445 serious violations affecting 5,663 Palestinian children in the occupied territories, making Israel the largest group of offenders for the first time in thirty years, ahead of Russia. Secretary‑General António Guterres described the scale of suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, including Al‑Quds, as "shocking" and warned that children continue to face killings, injuries, detention, recruitment and denial of humanitarian aid.

Globally, the UN recorded 38,558 serious violations against children in 2025, affecting more than 24,000 youngsters. The listing does not trigger automatic sanctions but adds diplomatic pressure on Israel to adopt measures that protect children and ensure access to aid.