DaysofPal – A recent United Nations commission report concludes that Israeli actions in Gaza have deliberately targeted Palestinian children, presenting evidence that it says demonstrates an intent to destroy the Palestinian population in whole or in part. The findings describe widespread violations of international law and call for urgent international action to protect children and ensure accountability.
The report documents the killing of more than 20,000 Palestinian children and the injury of 44,000 others since Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023. It argues that the scale and pattern of attacks point to a systematic assault on Palestinian children and condemns the international community for failing to prevent the violence or enforce provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice in early 2024.
Grounded in international children’s rights law, the report recalls that legal protections for children were established after World War I through the 1924 Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It states that these protections have consistently failed Palestinian children, whose rights continue to be violated during the ongoing conflict.
With children making up roughly half of Gaza’s population, the commission says they have borne the brunt of the military campaign. The report concludes that Israeli actions have sought to undermine both the biological survival and the social continuity of Palestinian society.
It details the severe physical and psychological harm inflicted on children through repeated displacement, starvation, trauma, orphanhood, and life-altering injuries. The report also documents cases of Palestinian children detained by Israeli authorities who were allegedly subjected to torture and sexual violence while in custody, describing such practices as grave violations of international human rights law that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Widespread Impact Beyond Gaza
The commission also highlights a sharp rise in violence against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, including attacks by Israeli forces and settlers.
Drawing on interviews with victims and witnesses as well as open-source evidence, the report recounts cases involving babies, toddlers, and school-age children. To protect surviving relatives, the commission chose not to identify child victims by name.
The report says Israel’s military operations have devastated Gaza’s education and healthcare systems. More than 90 percent of educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving many children without access to schooling for nearly three years. It also points to attacks on neonatal and maternity wards and notes that military raids and harassment have increasingly disrupted children’s access to education in the occupied West Bank.
Longstanding Pattern of Violations
The commission states that the targeting of Palestinian children did not begin with the current war. For decades, organizations including Defense for Children International–Palestine, Al-Haq, UNICEF, and UNRWA have documented killings, arrests, injuries, and other violations affecting Palestinian children while urging international intervention.
The report also references findings by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who warned shortly after the outbreak of the war in October 2023 that Palestinian children had endured decades of killings, imprisonment, injuries, and displacement, resulting in deep personal and collective trauma.
In 2024, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child similarly condemned what it described as severe violations of children’s rights linked to Israel’s military operations.
Calls for Accountability
The report argues that Israel has acted with broad impunity despite extensive documentation of abuses. It notes that medical workers returning from Gaza have described treating children allegedly shot by snipers and drones, while Palestinian children have publicly appealed for protection and justice.
It also raises concerns over Israeli measures targeting Palestinian human rights organizations documenting abuses against children. Defence for Children International–Palestine, whose offices were repeatedly raided by Israeli forces, was forced to cease operations after years of documenting violations and providing legal assistance to detained children.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on Israel to remove restrictions on child rights defenders and humanitarian organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territories and urged the international community to ensure accountability.
The commission concludes that expressions of concern alone are insufficient and urges states to take concrete measures, including halting arms transfers to Israel, imposing sanctions, and supporting international legal proceedings against those responsible for crimes documented in the report.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=76456
