UN report says Israel commits genocide against Palestinian children

The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released a report concluding that Israeli forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank, constituting genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The commission reported that more than 20,000 children have been killed and about 44,000 injured between October 2023 and October 2025, representing roughly 30 % of all casualties. It documented attacks on schools, neonatal and maternity facilities, the use of hunger blockades, sexual violence, torture and other severe mistreatment of detained minors.

Commission chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said, "The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces." The report called for the investigation and prosecution of all soldiers involved, an arms embargo on Israel, suspension of financial support for settlements and stronger humanitarian aid. Israel rejected the findings as a “fabricated, defamatory fable” and accused the commission of bias. The report notes that violations have continued after the October 2025 cease‑fire, with daily child deaths persisting despite the truce.