United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has accused Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian children during its military operations in Gaza, concluding that the scale and nature of the violence form a key element in what it describes as an ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the territory.
The allegations, contained in a new report released by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, represent some of the strongest accusations yet levelled against Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war nearly three years ago.
The commission said its investigation found evidence that Palestinian children had been intentionally targeted and killed by Israeli security forces, contributing to what it believes demonstrates genocidal intent aimed at destroying the broader Palestinian population in Gaza.
The three-member commission, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021, does not speak on behalf of the United Nations as a whole but operates independently to investigate alleged violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.
Its latest report builds on conclusions reached in September 2025, when the commission first argued that Israel had committed acts amounting to genocide during the conflict. Israeli authorities strongly rejected those findings at the time and have again dismissed the new report.
According to the commission, the continuing military operations in Gaza have produced an unprecedented level of death, injury and psychological trauma among children.
Investigators concluded there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israeli authorities and security forces had continued to commit acts constituting genocide in Gaza, citing the large number of child casualties and a pattern of conduct directed against the territory’s younger population.
The report argues that the impact extends far beyond the immediate loss of life.
According to the UN Investigate Commission, severe physical injuries, widespread psychological trauma, mass displacement, orphanhood, disability, starvation and the collapse of education and healthcare systems had collectively “erased childhood” for many children in Gaza and would have lifelong consequences for an entire generation.
“Israeli authorities and security forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, and war crimes in the West Bank.”
UN Investigate Commission
According to Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar the findings suggest a broader assault on the future viability of Palestinian society.
“By targeting children, Israel is attacking the very capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and to determine their future. Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured.”
Srinivasan Muralidhar
The report arrives amid continuing concern over the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. Recent figures from UNICEF indicated that at least 265 children have been killed and hundreds more injured in Gaza since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect.
According to the children’s agency, youngsters have been killed in a variety of circumstances, including while sheltering in tents, attending schools, playing football and fishing.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel that Israeli authorities say killed 1,221 people. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive in Gaza that Palestinian health authorities say has killed more than 72,800 people.
Within that broader toll, the commission estimates that at least 20,179 children have been killed and more than 44,000 injured during the conflict.
Investigators argue that the scale of those casualties cannot be viewed in isolation and instead reflects what they describe as a systematic pattern of conduct directed at undermining the future existence of Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel Rejects Findings as Commission Calls for Accountability
Israel has categorically rejected the report’s conclusions, accusing the commission of political bias and ignoring the actions of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
Israeli officials described the document as “defamatory” and a “libellous sham,” arguing that it presents a distorted account of the conflict while failing to acknowledge the military realities facing Israeli forces.
The Israeli government has consistently maintained that its operations target Hamas militants and military infrastructure rather than civilians and has repeatedly accused Hamas of embedding fighters and weapons within densely populated civilian areas.
In its response to the report, Israel argued that the commission ignored “the brutal tactics of Hamas, which ruthlessly attacks Israeli children and uses Palestinian children as human shields.”
While the commission’s report focuses heavily on the impact of Israeli military operations, it also documents a sharp increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.
Investigators noted that, settler-related attacks have intensified during the conflict period, exposing Palestinian children to additional risks beyond those associated with the war in Gaza.
The report further argues that the humanitarian consequences of the conflict are reshaping the demographic future of Palestinian society.
According to the commission, large numbers of children have been orphaned, while many of those who survived injuries face permanent disabilities that could affect them throughout their lives.
Investigators described disability as becoming “a defining demographic reality” among Gaza’s younger generation.
The commission also pointed to the effects of prolonged siege conditions on maternal and child health, arguing that damage to healthcare systems and public health programmes has undermined conditions necessary for future generations to thrive.
Beyond documenting alleged violations, the report identifies several Israeli military formations that investigators believe may bear responsibility for specific incidents involving children in Gaza and the West Bank.
It also calls on all UN member states, including Israel, to ensure accountability for crimes committed during the conflict.
READ ALSO: SEC, NIC Join Historic Non-Interest Banking Mission in Malaysia
