UN’s Gaza inquiry calls Israeli attacks on children genocide

Thu Jun 25 2026 12:23:38 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

UN report accuses Israel of targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, calling it genocide and war crime.

A UN commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel’s military operations in Gaza deliberately target children, amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The report details hundreds of thousands of child deaths, attacks on schools, hospitals and displacement camps, and claims that such actions form part of a strategy to destroy Gaza’s future. Israel has denied the allegations, calling the report a propaganda piece, while the international community calls for accountability and urgent humanitarian relief.

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released a stark report accusing Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The commission, composed of three experts, concludes that these actions constitute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes under the 1948 Genocide Convention and international humanitarian law.

According to the report, Israeli armed forces have carried out hundreds of thousands of lethal attacks on children, including precision strikes with drones and snipers that hit vital organs, as well as heavy‑impact weapons on residential buildings and school premises. The commission also documents the systematic dismantling of healthcare facilities, the use of starvation tactics, and the forced displacement of children, all of which it argues aim to erode the future prospects of the Palestinian people.

Israel’s foreign ministry has blasted the report, labeling it a “libellous sham” and a “propaganda piece.” It rejects the notion of genocide and insists the military operations are conducted in self‑defence against Hamas after the group’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israeli territory. Israeli officials maintain that they comply with international law and take all feasible measures to minimise civilian harm.

The Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures the UN trusts, reports that more than 73,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, including over 21,000 children. The commission’s findings come weeks after a ceasefire agreed upon at the end of October 2025, yet it claims the war’s intensity and the targeting of children continue unabated.

The report urges immediate international action, including investigations by the International Court of Justice, where a case has been filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. It cautions that without accountability, the humanitarian and legal crises will deepen, trapping future generations in a cycle of violence and suffering.