UN Inquiry Finds Systematic Targeting of Children in Gaza

Between October 2023 and the ceasefire in October 2025, more than 20,000 children were killed and 44,000 injured. Among the casualties were 5,000 children under the age of five and 400 newborns. Investigators documented instances of direct sniper fire, with medical personnel reporting wounds specifically to the heads and abdomens of minors. One doctor described a pattern of injuries suggesting teenage boys were being used for target practice.

Patterns of Intentional Violence

The commission rejected the characterization of these deaths as collateral damage. Instead, investigators pointed to the persistent use of high-payload weapons in densely populated areas and the systematic destruction of neonatal and maternity care facilities. This collapse of medical infrastructure, coupled with severe restrictions on humanitarian aid, turned treatable injuries into fatal ones. The report highlights that Israeli political rhetoric, including statements from figures like Nissim Vaturi who labeled every child a "terrorist," provided a framework for these military operations.

Israel has dismissed the findings, labeling the commission's work a "libelous sham" and accusing the UN of ignoring the tactics employed by Hamas. Despite the ceasefire, the report notes that violence persists, with over 100 children killed near the "yellow line" of the occupation zone since mid-January. Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the commission, warned that the destruction of health and development in Gaza and the West Bank has caused irreversible damage to the future of the Palestinian people.