UN Report Accuses Israel of Deliberate Child Attacks in Gaza

An independent United Nations investigation commission released a report concluding that Israeli security forces have intentionally targeted Palestinian children in the occupied territories since the October 2023 offensive. The report documents at least 20,179 child deaths and 44,143 injuries, describing tactics such as firing first at the legs and then the body, attacks on hospitals, maternity wards, orphanages and schools, mass arrests, torture and sexual violence, and a blockade‑induced famine that has killed children. A separate incident cited a drone strike on a tent camp in Al‑Mawasi that killed a 12‑year‑old boy and wounded others. The commission labels the actions as possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Israel rejected the findings, calling the report biased and maintaining that its operations target Hamas, not civilians. The UN body called for accountability, the withdrawal from occupied territories and urgent protection of children.

The findings add to ongoing international pressure on Israel to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza’s civilian population, especially children, whose deaths now represent roughly 30 % of total civilian fatalities in the conflict.