A United Nations commission of inquiry has alleged that Israel has deliberately targeted Palestinian children, alongside committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
In its latest report, the commission stated that Israeli authorities and security forces have “intentionally carried out actions resulting in the death and severe physical and psychological harm of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children”, with the alleged abuses continuing even after the ceasefire in October last year.
The commission further claimed there are reasonable grounds to conclude that these actions form part of a broader strategy aimed at “destroying the future of the Palestinian people in Gaza by targeting their children”.
Israel’s foreign ministry has strongly rejected the report, dismissing it as “extreme propaganda”.
The report also alleged that Palestinian children in Gaza have been directly targeted through gunfire to vital organs using drones and snipers, as well as airstrikes on residential areas, schools and refugee camps.
It further claimed that Israeli forces failed to protect Palestinian children in the West Bank from attacks involving both the military and Israeli settlers.
In addition, the commission said children have been detained, tortured and subjected to abuse in Israeli detention facilities, including allegations of sexual and gender-based violence.
The report also accused Israel of using starvation as a method of warfare against children in Gaza.
Israel has not issued further detailed responses beyond its rejection of the findings.
