UN Commission Says Palestinian Children Central to Findings on Gaza War Crimes

UN Commission Says Palestinian Children Central to Findings on Gaza War Crimes
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A UN-appointed commission has reported that grave violations against Palestinian children have been central to what it described as Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, alongside broader patterns of war crimes and crimes against humanity affecting children in Gaza and the West Bank since October 2023.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, said its report, titled “The Essence of Childhood,” documents the collapse of protections owed to children under international law.

According to the commission, at least 20,179 children were killed and 44,143 injured in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025. It said more than 5,000 of those killed were under the age of five, including about 420 newborns, while thousands more remain buried under rubble.

The report also documented cases of children allegedly shot by snipers or drone-mounted weapons, including quadcopters, as well as the killing of children after the October 2025 ceasefire near the so-called “yellow line” inside Gaza.

Commission chair Justice Srinivasan Muralidhar said evidence reviewed by investigators showed patterns indicating that children were specifically targeted, not merely harmed as collateral damage.

The commission also cited the destruction of hospitals, neonatal care units, schools, and universities, as well as starvation, blocked humanitarian aid, and the detention and mistreatment of Palestinian children.

It called on Israel to halt military operations near the yellow line, comply with International Court of Justice orders, release data on detained children, and end the withholding of Palestinian children’s bodies. It also urged UN member states to suspend arms transfers where they may contribute to international crimes.