UN Commission Says Israel Deliberately Targeted Palestinian Children in Gaza, Muralidhar Reports

An independent UN commission of inquiry said Israel deliberately targeted Palestinian children in Gaza, amounting to genocide, and in the West Bank amounting to war crimes, in a report released Tuesday.

“A United Nations commission of inquiry says Israel continues to deliberately target and kill Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and war crimes in the occupied West Bank”

Al Jazeera

The commission’s chair, Srinivasan Muralidhar, said, "The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces," and it added that "Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured".

Al Jazeera

The Guardian reported the commission found about 30% of the people killed by Israeli forces were children, and said the deliberate targeting was a key element in establishing genocidal intent.

The BBC said the commission described the acts as part of a deliberate strategy to destroy the future of Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children, and it reported that killings continued even after the ceasefire in Gaza in October of last year.

The Washington Post reported the Israeli Foreign Ministry called the commission’s findings a “libelous sham.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry and Israeli officials rejected the UN findings, with the BBC reporting that the Foreign Ministry described the commission’s report as a smear and as shameless propaganda akin to its predecessor.

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, called the findings a "political blood libel disguised as a UN document," while the BBC said the Israeli Foreign Ministry called the report a “libelous sham” and said the claims hadn’t been verified.

BBC

The commission chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said the commission’s findings were tied to the Palestinian right to self-determination, stating, "By targeting children, Israel is attacking the very capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and to determine their future."

Le Monde reported that the commission denounced an ongoing "genocide" and said the report detailed consequences including killings, injuries, separation, forced displacement, famine and lack of access to education and healthcare.

The Guardian added that the Israeli mission in Geneva said Israel rejected the commission’s “libellous sham,” and it reported that the commission said children were targeted collectively because Israeli security forces considered the civilian population as a whole to be associated with Hamas and other armed groups.

The commission said its findings pointed to ongoing harm to Palestinian children even after the October 2025 ceasefire, with the BBC reporting that children were still being killed and seriously injured amid Israel’s ongoing disregard for the ceasefire.

“Israeli forces continue to commit genocide against Palestinians by deliberately targeting children in the Gaza Strip, an independent United Nations Commission of Inquiry has found”

CNN

The commission also described specific methods it said were used against children, with the BBC saying it accused Israel of firing at children’s vital organs with precision weapons such as drones and snipers and using high-impact weapons in strikes on residential buildings, schools, and displacement camps.

In the Gaza Strip, the BBC reported the death toll in Israeli attacks on Gaza had reached at least 73,035 Palestinians, including more than 21,280 children, according to the Health Ministry in the territory, which the United Nations regards as a reliable source.

The commission’s chair warned that even if bombs and guns fall silent, recovery would not be immediate, saying, "even if bombs and guns fall silent in Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinian children will not recover overnight," according to UN News.

The commission urged member states to act on accountability, and the BBC said the report called on the Israeli government to "immediately halt military operations in Gaza," while CNN reported the commission urged arrest of Israeli officials wanted by the International Criminal Court, halt arms transfers to Israel, and impose sanctions on Israeli officials and settlers.