UN Investigation: Israel Deliberately Targeted Children in Gaza Genocide
A United Nations (UN) investigative team on Tuesday (23/0/2026) accused Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian children as a key factor in the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The report has triggered a fierce reaction and rejection from Israeli authorities.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry stated it has found strong evidence that Palestinian children are being deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli security forces. According to the team, these actions constitute a crucial element in establishing the genocidal intent of the Israeli authorities to destroy the larger Palestinian group in Gaza.
This latest report follows findings from last September, which first concluded that genocidal acts were occurring. The investigative team noted that the intense scale and systematic nature of the Israeli military operations have caused unprecedented death, injury, and trauma among children.
The commission, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021, highlighted how the living conditions imposed by Israel in Gaza have resulted in preventable child deaths. In addition to physical fatalities, the report noted a massive psychological impact.
“The Israeli authorities and security forces are deliberately targeting Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, as well as war crimes in the West Bank,” the team stated in its official communique.
The lead investigator, Judge Srinivasan Muralidhar from India, emphasised that by targeting children, Israel is attacking the capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and determine their own future. He added that many Israeli soldiers themselves have uploaded evidence incriminating their own actions to the public domain.
The report argues that the killing and maiming of Palestinian children is part of a strategy to destroy the biological continuity of the Palestinian group. The siege of Gaza is also cited as directly damaging reproductive and neonatal health, as well as destroying the public health systems necessary for future generations.
Commissioner Chris Sidoti stated that they have identified specific Israeli military divisions and units responsible for incidents in Gaza and the West Bank. “We know who they are. Every norm of international law has been violated, and they must be held accountable,” Sidoti asserted.
Israel has strongly rejected the report, calling it slander and a fraudulent smear campaign. Israeli authorities accused the investigators of ignoring Hamas tactics, claiming the group uses Palestinian children as human shields and attacks Israeli children.
Beyond Gaza, the commission also documented a sharp increase in violence by Israeli settlers against children in the occupied West Bank. The UN is urging all member states to ensure accountability for the crimes committed to break the cycle of impunity.