B'Tselem: West Bank Child Killings Reach Highest Level Since 1967

The report, titled Unshielded Childhood, details a sharp escalation in fatalities, noting that 54 minors were killed in 2025 alone. B'Tselem highlights that these deaths occur under military regulations that allow lethal force even against individuals who no longer pose an immediate threat. Command rhetoric appears to mirror this trend; Avi Bluth, the top Israeli commander for the West Bank, recently boasted that forces are killing at a rate unseen since the 1967 Six-Day War.

Investigations into the 54 deaths recorded last year reveal that only two of the minors were armed with guns at the time of their deaths. While the military claimed 12 others were attempting to use explosives or stones, B'Tselem found that 21 victims were not involved in any clashes when they were shot or targeted by airstrikes. Yuli Novak, executive director of B'Tselem, argues that this environment is sustained by institutional immunity, noting that no indictments have been filed against soldiers for killings in the West Bank since October 2023. The organization warns that this pattern is inseparable from the broader crisis in Gaza, suggesting that international inaction has effectively granted a license for lethal operations across Palestinian territories.