A recent report from the United Nations has alleged that Israel deliberately targeted Palestinian children in Gaza, accusing the country of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes during the conflict in the region.
According to the investigation conducted by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry, approximately 30% of the individuals who lost their lives in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas conflict began were children. The report states that Israeli forces intentionally carried out actions that caused death and severe harm to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children.
Despite the increasing number of child casualties, the report reveals that Israeli forces continued to use heavy munitions and weaponry in densely populated areas during the conflict. The investigative team, comprising three members and not speaking on behalf of the UN, emphasized that these attacks targeting children were deliberate.
Furthermore, the report highlights that Israeli assaults on Gaza’s medical facilities have significantly hindered children’s access to life-saving medical care, jeopardizing their survival as a vulnerable group.
The commission initially asserted last September that Israel had committed genocide in the Gaza conflict, a claim strongly denied by Israel. In a follow-up report released recently, the commission stated that the scale and nature of Israeli military operations persisted, resulting in unprecedented levels of death, injury, and trauma among Palestinian children.
The commission chair, Srinivasan Muralidhar, expressed concerns about the continued violence impacting children, emphasizing Israel’s disregard for ceasefire agreements and the protection rights of Palestinian children according to international law.
The report also touched upon the mistreatment of children in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including incidents of torture and sexual violence. However, Israel’s mission in Geneva rejected the commission’s findings, labeling the report as defamatory and accusing Hamas of using civilian areas for military operations.
Israel’s retaliatory actions following attacks from Gaza have reportedly led to the deaths of over 72,800 individuals, as stated by local authorities. Muralidhar reiterated the detrimental impact of targeting children, stating that it undermines the future and existence of the Palestinian people.
Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021, the commission investigated alleged crimes against Palestinian children, highlighting the dire conditions in Gaza that have contributed to preventable child mortality. The commission’s report condemned Israeli authorities and security forces for deliberately targeting Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
The report also emphasized the severe physical and mental toll on children, including trauma, displacement, starvation, and the collapse of essential services like education and healthcare, leading to a loss of childhood.
Notably, the report was released just a day after UNICEF reported that at least 265 children had been killed and numerous others injured in Gaza post the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
