The UN Commission has stated that Israel committed genocide against children in Gaza.
According to the report, children in Gaza were deliberately targeted and killed by Israel.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry has stated that the Israeli government and security forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children, leading to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Gaza, and war crimes in the occupied West Bank. Reuters reported this.
The published report examined violations committed against Palestinian children since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023.
According to the Commission, children accounted for nearly 30 percent of the fatalities during the war in Gaza. The report recorded that at least 20,179 children were killed from October 7, 2023, to October 7, 2025.
The UN Commission stated that Palestinian children were deliberately targeted and killed throughout the war, including after the ceasefire came into effect in October 2025. The Commission assessed this as one of the key factors indicating that the Israeli government and security forces had the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian population in Gaza.
"The evidence shows that Palestinian children were deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli security forces," said Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar.
The report notes that despite the rising number of child casualties, Israeli forces continued to use high-power munitions and wide-area effect weapons in densely populated areas. The Commission stated that such attacks resulted in the deaths of many children and indicated they were intentional.
Furthermore, the Commission noted that the conditions created by Israel in Gaza, including widespread attacks, repeated displacements, and restrictions on the delivery of aid, food, and medicine, have severely harmed the health and development of children.
According to the investigation's findings, attacks on healthcare and reproductive medicine facilities negatively impacted the survival chances of newborns, increased miscarriage rates, and left nearly all children in Gaza in need of psychological support.
The Commission noted an increase in violence against Palestinian children in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as well. The report states that evidence of torture, including sexual and gender-based violence, during mass arrests and detention has been documented.
The UN Commission stated that Palestinian children, particularly boys, regularly faced treatment such as forced stripping, beatings, and deprivation of food while in detention. The Commission classified such acts as crimes against humanity, including torture and other inhumane treatment.
Israel's mission in Geneva rejected the report, calling it a "second propaganda report based on slander."
"Israel rejects this false, slander-based report," the statement said.
The Israeli side emphasized that every child deserves protection and stated that the report ignored Hamas's actions.
Additionally, Israel firmly denied the allegations of deliberately targeting children, stating that it strives to minimize harm to children even under conflict conditions.
