Israeli forces have deliberately targeted and killed Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank, according to a UN inquiry, which says the attacks amount to war crimes and point to genocidal intent.
Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, presented the findings on Tuesday while discussing a new report on Israeli violations against minors.
He said the commission had found “indisputable evidence” of deliberate targeted killings of Palestinian children, as well as torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, sexual and gender-based violence, and attacks on infrastructure essential to children, such as orphanages, healthcare, and educational facilities.
According to the commission, Israeli forces killed more than 20,000 Palestinian children and injured over 44,000 others between October 2023 and October 2025. UNICEF findings also suggest that by February 2026, the toll in Gaza had risen to 21,289 children killed and 44,500 injured.
Muralidhar stated that children accounted for around 30% of those killed in the occupied Palestinian territories and that attacks on them have been a “continuing activity.”
The commission attributed much of the toll to Israel’s use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas and a failure to take adequate precautions despite the presence of children.
The report also documented cases of children allegedly shot by Israeli snipers or drones while evacuating, sheltering in tents, approaching aid sites, or staying in displacement camps. Medical workers have noted a pattern of single gunshot wounds to the head or upper body, suggesting deliberate targeting.
The inquiry added that Israel’s blockade of Gaza, including restrictions on the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other humanitarian aid, has also worsened malnutrition, disease, preventable deaths, and long-term psychological trauma.
The commission surmised that Israeli authorities and security forces have continued to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Gaza, as well as war crimes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israel has rejected genocide accusations and has repeatedly insisted that its military campaign is aimed at the militant group Hamas, not civilians.
The Gaza war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent campaign has devastated much of Gaza, killing over 73,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 173,000, according to local health authorities.