Israel Committed Genocide by Targeting Palestinian Children: UN Inquiry

Israeli authorities and security forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children, committing acts that amount to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

An independent UN inquiry released Tuesday reached this conclusion regarding actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry examined violations against Palestinian minors since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.

The report found that around 30 percent of those killed in the Gaza war were children.

The deliberate killing of minors continued even after an October 2025 ceasefire.

The commission identified this targeting as a primary element establishing genocidal intent to destroy the Palestinian population in whole or in part.

Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva dismissed the findings as a “libelous sham.”

The delegation accused the commission of releasing a defamatory advocacy report that ignored Hamas tactics.

Disproportionate Child Casualties

The inquiry documented that the proportion of children killed in the current conflict significantly exceeded previous military engagements.

Between October 2023 and October 2025, Israeli forces killed at least 20,179 children.

During hostilities in 2008-2009 and 2014, children represented approximately 24 percent of conflict-related fatalities. The recent figure stands at roughly 30 percent of the overall death toll.

The commission noted that Israeli forces utilized high-payload munitions and weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated civilian areas.

The inquiry determined that these tactics demonstrated intentionality in the high number of child casualties.

Israeli security forces collectively targeted children, operating under the assumption that the entire civilian population was associated with Hamas, the report said.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, the commission’s chair, stated that targeting minors undermines the Palestinian capacity to exist and determine their future.

Israel rejected the allegations of deliberate targeting in the strongest terms.

The state asserted that it consistently attempts to minimize harm to children in conflict zones.

Humanitarian Blockade and Systemic Abuse

Israeli conditions imposed on Gaza, including repeated displacement and starvation from aid blockades, inflicted severe harm on child health and development.

The inquiry linked these systemic deprivations to preventable deaths and extensive trauma.

Attacks on healthcare and reproductive facilities negatively impacted newborn survival rates and drove an increase in miscarriages.

The commission found that nearly all children in Gaza now require psychological support.

Israel countered that the report omitted its facilitation of vaccinations, medical staff entry, and field hospitals.

It accused Hamas of systematically diverting humanitarian aid, a charge the Palestinian group denies.

Violations in the West Bank

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the commission documented a sharp escalation in violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinian minors.

The inquiry also gathered evidence of torture and sexual violence during mass arrests.

Palestinian boys in particular faced systematic mistreatment while in detention.

The documented abuses included forced stripping, severe beatings, and food deprivation.

The commission ruled that these actions constitute crimes against humanity through torture and inhumane acts, causing great suffering.

Israel claimed the findings omitted context regarding the terrorist threats its forces faced in the territory.