A United Nations investigative body has alleged that Israeli security forces are deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza as part of what it described as an ongoing “genocide,” a claim that has been strongly rejected by Israel as “defamatory” and “a libellous sham.”
The findings were released on Tuesday by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, a three-member panel established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021. The commission said it had gathered evidence indicating that Palestinian children had been deliberately targeted and killed during military operations in Gaza, and that this formed part of what it described as genocidal intent by Israeli authorities.
According to the report, the scale and systematic nature of military operations in Gaza have resulted in what it called “unprecedented” levels of death, injury, and psychological trauma among children. The commission said there were “reasonable grounds” to conclude that Israeli security forces had continued to commit genocide in Gaza, along with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
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The panel further stated that the humanitarian situation has caused severe and lasting impacts on children, including mass trauma, orphanhood, disability, repeated displacement, starvation, and the collapse of essential services such as education and healthcare. It argued that these conditions have effectively “erased childhood” in Gaza and could have long-term consequences for future generations.
Israel strongly rejected the allegations, accusing the commission of ignoring Hamas’s role in the conflict and its tactics, including attacks on Israeli civilians and the use of human shields. Israeli officials dismissed the report as biased and politically motivated, reiterating long-standing criticism of UN investigations into the conflict.
The commission also reported that at least 20,179 children were killed and 44,143 injured in Gaza during the first two years of the conflict, figures it attributed to direct hostilities. It further warned of worsening conditions in the West Bank, citing increased violence against Palestinian children. The panel urged UN member states to ensure accountability for alleged violations of international law.
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