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A United Nations Commission of Inquiry has released a report alleging that Israeli authorities and security forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children, constituting genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, and war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The report, published on Tuesday, has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli officials, who have dismissed its findings as biased and politically motivated.
Coverage Comparison
Al Jazeera reports that the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel examined Israeli violations against Palestinian children since the start of the war in October 2023. The report found that approximately 30% of those killed in Gaza were children, and it highlighted the severe impact of Israel's actions, including displacement and starvation, on children's health and development.
The Jerusalem Post, citing Reuters, notes that the report defines a child as "every human being below the age of 18 years, consistent with Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child." The commission, which has faced heavy Israeli criticism for bias, does not represent the UN's official position. However, the full report was shared on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Fox News – World emphasizes Israel's reaction, quoting Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, who called the report a "political blood libel disguised as a U.N. document." Danon accused the commission of reaching conclusions before examining the facts and of serving the purpose of vilifying Israel, while ignoring Hamas's crimes, including the October 7 massacre and the use of children and civilians as human shields.
Key Claims
The report alleges that Israel committed genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, and war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It specifically accuses Israeli authorities of deliberately targeting Palestinian children. According to the report, around 30% of those killed in Gaza were children.
The commission's chair, Srinivasan Muralidhar, is quoted by Al Jazeera as saying, "The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces." He added that even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law.
Al Jazeera also reports that the report noted Israel's targeting of neonatal and maternity care centers during the war, which it says endangered Palestinians' reproductive future and the survival of newborns, driving a rise in miscarriages, birth defects, and lasting vulnerabilities. The report found that Israel's aid blockade last year caused starvation-related deaths among children and a rise in disease as immunization rates fell.