A United Nations independent commission of inquiry has concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The report, released on Tuesday by the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, examined violations against Palestinian children since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023.
Child Casualties and Genocidal Intent
The commission found that approximately 30% of those killed in the Gaza war were children. Between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025, at least 20,179 children were killed, representing around 30% of the overall death toll. This proportion is higher than in previous conflicts, such as the 2008–2009 and 2014 hostilities in Gaza, where children made up about 24% of conflict-related fatalities, according to the report.
The commission stated that Israeli forces continued to use high-payload munitions and weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated residential areas despite mounting child casualties. “This indicates that such attacks, which killed children in such high numbers, were intentional,” the report said. The commission believed children were targeted collectively because Israeli security forces considered the civilian population as a whole to be associated with Hamas and other armed groups.
Srinivasan Muralidhar, the commission’s chair, said in a statement, “The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces.” He added that by targeting children, Israel was undermining the capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and to determine their future.
Israel's Rejection and Rebuttal
Israel’s mission in Geneva rejected the report, calling it a “second defamatory advocacy report” and a “libelous sham.” In a statement, Israel asserted that “every child deserves protection” and accused the report of ignoring “the brutal tactics of Hamas.” The rebuttal shared by Israel’s mission said Israel “consistently strives to minimize harm to children even in situations of conflict” and rejected the suggestion it deliberately targets children “in the strongest terms.”
The commission’s findings follow a previous report in September that found Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited these acts—accusations Israel called scandalous.
Impact on Children's Health and Development
Conditions imposed by Israel in Gaza, including widespread attacks, repeated displacement, and starvation caused by the blockade of aid, food, and medicine, severely harmed children’s health and development, resulting in preventable deaths and trauma, the report said. The inquiry also found that attacks on healthcare and reproductive facilities impacted the survival of newborns and reported increases in miscarriages. Nearly all children in Gaza were reported to require psychological support.
Israel’s rebuttal said the report failed to mention Israel’s role in facilitating vaccinations and the entry of medical staff, and the establishment of field hospitals. It accused Hamas of systematically diverting humanitarian aid and fuel for hospitals. Hamas has rejected such accusations.
West Bank Violence and Detention
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the commission found a sharp increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian children and documented evidence of torture, including sexual and gender-based violence, during mass arrests and detention. It said Palestinian children, particularly boys, were subjected to systematic mistreatment in detention, including forced stripping, beatings, and food deprivation.
The commission concluded that the treatment constituted the crimes against humanity of torture and other inhumane acts causing great suffering or serious injury. Israel’s rebuttal said the report’s findings on the West Bank omitted context on the “constant terrorist threat” that Israeli security forces were responding to.
