UN commission accuses Israel of committing genocide against children in Gaza

An independent United Nations commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel deliberately targeted Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, acts that may amount to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The report, published Tuesday June 23, examines the violations committed since the start of the war unleashed after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. According to investigators, at least 20,179 Palestinian children were killed between October 7, 2023 and October 7, 2025, or nearly 30% of the victims recorded in the enclave. During the Israeli offensives of 2008-2009 and 2014, children accounted for approximately 24% of hostilities-related deaths. For the commission, this significant increase, combined with the repeated use of high-power munitions in densely populated residential areas, demonstrates a deliberate desire to target the youngest.

Investigators claim to have evidence showing that Palestinian children were “deliberately targeted and killed” by Israeli forces, including after the entry into force of the October 2025 ceasefire. According to them, this observation constitutes a central element to establish an intention to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian population of Gaza. The report also highlights the devastating impact of bombings, repeated forced displacements and the blockade of humanitarian aid, food and medicine. These conditions would have seriously compromised the physical and mental health of the children. The commission indicates that almost all children in Gaza today need psychological support due to the trauma they have suffered.

Particular attention is paid to attacks against health infrastructure. Investigators denounce the destruction and disruption that affected maternity wards, neonatology departments and reproductive health centers. According to the report, these attacks have endangered the survival of newborns, caused a rise in miscarriages and deprived many premature babies of essential care. The commission considers that these attacks compromise the capacity of the Palestinian population to ensure its reproduction and the survival of future generations.

The document also focuses on the situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It reports a sharp increase in violence committed against Palestinian children by Israeli settlers and security forces. Investigators document cases of torture, sexual violence, beatings, food deprivation and humiliation during arrests and detentions, facts which they describe as crimes against humanity.

The commission concludes that the targeting of children and the destruction of the conditions necessary for their survival “compromise the capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and secure their future”, a formulation which grounds its accusation of genocide.