UN Report accuses Israel of deliberately targeting children in Gaza

A United Nations commission of inquiry has accused Israeli authorities and security forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, concluding that the actions amount to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The findings are contained in a nearly 100-page report presented to the UN Human Rights Council this week.

The commission says more than 20,000 Palestinian children were killed between October 2023 and October 2025, accounting for around 30 percent of all reported deaths. It alleges that Israeli forces repeatedly used heavy munitions in densely populated civilian areas and continued attacks after a ceasefire, while also documenting severe psychological trauma, malnutrition and the collapse of healthcare affecting children.

The report also details alleged abuses against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, including arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence.

Israel has rejected the findings, calling the report biased and defamatory. Israeli officials maintain that the military does not deliberately target civilians and accuse Hamas of operating from civilian areas and using residents as human shields.

The report's conclusions are expected to add pressure to ongoing international legal proceedings examining alleged crimes committed during the Gaza conflict.