UN Inquiry Committee Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza Through Deliberate Targeting of Children

Washington Message

Washington – Said Arikat - 23/6/2026

An independent international commission of inquiry affiliated with the United Nations Human Rights Council stated that it has reasonable grounds to believe that Israel has committed acts amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, through the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children and causing the death and injury of hundreds of thousands of them.

The commission, in a new report issued on Tuesday, clarified that Israeli authorities and their security forces "deliberately carried out actions that led to the death and inflicted severe physical and psychological harm on hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children," noting that the killings continued even after the ceasefire witnessed in Gaza during recent months.

The report added that the commission concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that these actions constitute part of a "deliberate strategy to destroy the future of Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children," considering that what happened is not limited to isolated violations, but falls within a broad and systematic pattern of practices targeting the demographic and social structure of Palestinian society.

The report also accused Israeli forces of committing war crimes in the occupied West Bank, in addition to the violations attributed to them in the Gaza Strip, indicating that children were among the most affected groups by the ongoing military operations.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically rejected the report, describing its findings as "null and slanderous," considering it a "propaganda document" lacking credibility and objectivity, a stance that reflects the ongoing disagreement between Israel and UN investigation mechanisms regarding the war in Gaza.

These accusations come in the context of the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip following the attack on October 7, 2023, led by the Hamas movement and other Palestinian factions against towns and military sites in the Gaza envelope area, which resulted in the killing of about 1,200 people, including 391 soldiers, and the capture of 251 others, according to the Israeli narrative.

Since then, at least 73,035 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, including more than 21,280 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. The United Nations and many international organizations consider these figures to be highly reliable despite ongoing political debate surrounding them.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel was established in 2021 by a resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Although the commission does not officially speak on behalf of the United Nations, its reports receive widespread attention within international institutions and relevant legal forums.

The UN inquiry commission's report represents the latest episode in the escalating legal and political debate surrounding the nature of the Israeli war in Gaza. While Israel focuses on its right to self-defense after the October 7 attacks, international voices are increasingly arguing that the enormous scale of human losses, especially among children, exceeds the limits of traditional military operations and falls within the scope of grave violations of international law. The report gains particular importance because it links the targeting of children with the concept of genocide, a description that carries serious legal and political dimensions that could affect the course of international accountability in the future.

The report comes at a time when Israel is facing increasing diplomatic and judicial pressure from international institutions and global human rights organizations. In recent months, calls for independent investigations into the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and shelters, have increased. The focus on children reflects a significant shift in international human rights discourse, as the discussion is no longer limited to the number of victims, but now addresses the long-term effects of the war on the future of Palestinian society and its ability to recover and rebuild after the end of military operations.

Despite Israel's categorical rejection of the report's content, its repercussions may extend beyond political and media debate to influence legal discussions before international judicial bodies. The report may also add momentum to demands for imposing more pressure on Israel to halt military operations and ensure the protection of civilians. In contrast, Israel's supporters believe that such reports ignore the complexities of the conflict and the role of Palestinian armed groups. Between these two opposing positions, Palestinian civilians, especially children, remain the party most bearing the cost of the war that has been ongoing for nearly three years.