An Independent International Commission of Inquiry established by the United Nations Human Rights Council has accused Israel of committing grave violations against Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
In a 94-page report titled “The Essence of Childhood Has Been Destroyed”: Israel’s deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 7 October 2023, the commission examined alleged violations and crimes affecting Palestinian children between 7 October 2023 and 31 March 2026.
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“The Commission found that much of the harm suffered by Palestinian children was not incidental but intended to destroy the existence of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group,” the report stated.
“Since children embody the biological and social continuity of the group, the Commission has reasonable grounds to conclude that these acts form part of a deliberate strategy to destroy the future of the Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children.”
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The findings build on an earlier report released by the commission in September, which concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza and that senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited the acts. Israel rejected those allegations.
In a statement, Israel’s mission in Geneva described the latest report as a defamatory advocacy report.
“Israel dismisses this libellous sham,” the mission said, arguing that the report ignored what it described as “the brutal tactics of Hamas.”
Violations against children
According to the report, at least 20,179 Palestinian children were killed and 44,143 injured as a result of hostilities in Gaza between October 2023 and October 2025.
The commission said children accounted for about 30 per cent of those killed and 26 per cent of those injured during the period.
Its investigation focused on alleged killings, arrests, ill-treatment, sexual and gender-based violence, attacks on healthcare and educational facilities, and conditions imposed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory that directly affected children.
The report stated that more than 5,000 children under the age of five were among those killed, including over 1,000 infants younger than one year and about 420 newborn babies.
“The Commission notes that the number of children killed and injured from the hostilities in Gaza is certainly higher than the one reported,” the report said.
It cited estimates by Save the Children indicating that about 5,160 children remain buried beneath rubble, while others are believed to be in unmarked graves or remain missing.
The commission alleged that Israeli military operations in Gaza involved the extensive use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, contributing to high numbers of child casualties.
“Research indicates that children are seven times more likely to die than adults from the impact of explosive weapons due to their physiological vulnerability,” the report stated.
It added that younger children face a greater risk of fatal blast injuries because of their smaller size and lower body weight.
Specific cases examined
Among the incidents highlighted in the report was an airstrike in Khan Younis on 23 May 2025, in which two Israeli strikes reportedly hit a residential building, killing nine of 10 children in a family as well as their father. Both parents were doctors.
The commission also examined the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab and members of her family in Gaza City in January 2024.
According to the report, investigators concluded that Israeli security forces deliberately targeted the family vehicle and later obstructed attempts to rescue the child.
Another case involved a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly shot while carrying a white flag during an evacuation in Khan Younis. The commission said Israeli soldiers would have been able to identify him as a child holding a white flag.
The report further detailed the case of a 10-day-old infant who was allegedly shot while being breastfed inside a tent in Nuseirat camp in April 2024. The child survived but reportedly sustained brain injuries and seizures.
Investigators concluded that the shot was fired from a weapon mounted on a quadcopter drone.
The commission noted that the killing and maiming of children continued even during periods when fighting was paused under ceasefire arrangements.
Impact on health and education
Beyond direct attacks, the commission examined the impact of military operations on healthcare and other essential services.
According to the report, many injured children suffered life-altering injuries, including amputations, spinal damage, blindness and hearing loss. It cited reports indicating that more than 1,000 children underwent amputations during the first three months of the conflict.
The inquiry also assessed attacks on healthcare facilities, schools and orphanages, concluding that they had severe consequences for children’s health, education, development and overall well-being.
The report said conditions in Gaza, including mass displacement, destruction of infrastructure and shortages of essential services, have contributed to preventable child deaths, worsening health outcomes and widespread psychological trauma.
Calls for accountability
The commission said it sent 13 requests for information or access to the Israeli government during its investigation, but received no response.
It noted, however, that the State of Palestine and the Gaza Ministry of Health provided information to investigators.
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The report also recalled that the commission had previously examined violations committed against Israeli children during the 7 October 2023 attacks and found that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including against Israeli children and child hostages.
In its conclusion, the commission said the cumulative effects of killings, injuries, detention practices, attacks on civilian infrastructure and living conditions imposed during the conflict had caused severe and lasting harm to Palestinian children.
It called for accountability for violations, reparations for victims, an end to attacks affecting children and stronger international action to protect children caught up in the conflict.
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