An Independent International Commission of Inquiry set up by the United Nations Human Rights Council has accused Israel of serious violations against Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since the Gaza war started in October 2023.
In a 94-page report called “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 looked into violations and crimes affecting Palestinian children from 7 October 2023 to 31 March 2026.
“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 said.
“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.”
These findings build on an earlier report from September, which stated that Israel committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited these acts. Israel rejected these claims.
In a statement, Israel’s mission in Geneva called the latest report a defamatory advocacy report.
“Israel dismisses this libellous sham,” the mission said, arguing that the report ignored what it called “the brutal tactics of Hamas.”
The report claims that at least 20,179 Palestinian children were killed and 44,143 injured due to fighting in Gaza from October 2023 to October 2025.
The commission found that children made up about 30 percent of those killed and 26 percent of those injured during this time.
Its investigation focused on alleged killings, arrests, mistreatment, sexual and gender-based violence, attacks on healthcare and schools, and conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory that directly affected children.
According to the report, more than 5,000 children under five were among the dead, including over 1,000 infants younger than one year and about 420 newborns.
“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 referenced estimates by Save the Children suggesting that around 5,160 children are still buried under rubble, while others are thought to be in unmarked graves or are missing.
The commission claimed that Israeli military actions in Gaza involved heavy use of explosive weapons in crowded areas, leading to high 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 said.
It added that younger kids face a greater risk of fatal blast injuries because of their smaller size and lower body weight.
One incident highlighted in the report was an airstrike in Khan Younis on 23 May 2025, where two Israeli strikes hit a residential building, killing nine out of ten children in a family along with their father. Both parents were doctors.
The commission also looked at the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab and her family members in Gaza City in January 2024.
According to the report, investigators concluded that Israeli security forces deliberately targeted the family vehicle and later blocked attempts to rescue the child.
Another case involved a 15-year-old boy who was reportedly shot while holding a white flag during an evacuation in Khan Younis. The commission said Israeli soldiers would have been able to see he was a child carrying a white flag.
The report also described a 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 suffered brain injuries and seizures.
Investigators found that the shot came from a weapon mounted on a drone.
The commission noted that the killing and injuries of children continued even when fighting stopped during ceasefires.
Apart from direct attacks, the commission looked at how military operations affected healthcare and other vital services.
The report said many injured children had life-changing injuries, including amputations, spinal damage, blindness, and hearing loss. It mentioned that more than 1,000 children had amputations in the first three months of the conflict.
The inquiry also checked attacks on healthcare facilities, schools, and orphanages, finding that these had serious effects on children’s health, education, development, and overall well-being.
The report stated that conditions in Gaza, such as mass displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and lack of essential services, have led to preventable child deaths, worsening health outcomes, and widespread psychological trauma.
The commission said it sent 13 requests for information or access to the Israeli government during its investigation but got no reply.
It noted that the State of Palestine and the Gaza Ministry of Health provided information to investigators.
The report also mentioned that the commission previously examined violations against Israeli children during the 7 October 2023 attacks and found that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes against Israeli children and child hostages.
In its conclusion, the commission said the combined effects of killings, injuries, detention practices, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and harsh living conditions during the conflict have caused severe and lasting harm to Palestinian children.
It called for accountability for violations, reparations for victims, an end to attacks on children, and stronger international action to protect children caught in the conflict.
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