GENEVA – An independent UN international commission of inquiry has found that Israel continues to commit genocide through the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.
The report, released Tuesday, identifies the systematic killing of children as a primary indicator of genocidal intent by Israeli authorities and security forces to destroy the Palestinian group, in whole or in part.
The commission’s findings follow a previous report issued in September, which concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and that senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had incited these acts.
Findings on Child Casualties and Intent
The inquiry examined violations against children since the start of the conflict and determined that children account for approximately 30% of those killed by Israeli forces.
The commission specifically noted that the targeting of children continued even after a ceasefire came into effect in October 2025. According to the report, the use of high-payload munitions and weapons with widespread effects in densely populated residential areas, despite the known high number of child casualties, indicates that these attacks were intentional rather than incidental.
Srinivasan Muralidhar, the commission’s chair, stated in an accompanying statement:
“The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces.”
The report suggests that children were targeted collectively based on a security framework in which Israeli forces viewed the civilian population as a whole as being associated with Hamas and other armed groups. Muralidhar argued that by targeting children, Israel is undermining the capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and determine their future, a conclusion the commission says meets the threshold of intent required under international law.
The commission stressed that its mandate covers all parties to the conflict but said the current findings relate specifically to the conduct of Israeli state authorities and security forces.
Humanitarian and Healthcare Impact
Beyond direct military strikes, the inquiry detailed a systemic collapse of child welfare driven by conditions it says were imposed by Israel and exacerbated by the prolonged blockade of the enclave. The report cited the following factors as contributors to preventable deaths and trauma among children:
* Widespread military attacks and repeated forced displacement disrupting access to shelter, schooling and basic services.
* Starvation and malnutrition resulting from severe restrictions on food, medicine and humanitarian aid.
* Attacks on healthcare and reproductive facilities, which the report linked to a decrease in newborn survival and an increase in miscarriages.
The commission further reported that nearly all children in Gaza are currently in need of psychological support as a result of continuous exposure to bombardment, bereavement and displacement.
UN investigators said these conditions form part of a broader pattern of policies that, taken together, amount to the intentional infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the group, a core element in the legal definition of genocide.
West Bank Violations and Detention
The scope of the inquiry extended to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared subject to an unlawful occupation and where Israeli authorities exercise effective control.
In these areas, the commission documented a sharp increase in violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinian children, often in the presence of Israeli security forces. The report also provided evidence of systemic mistreatment within detention centers, specifically targeting boys. Documented abuses include:
* Forced stripping and beatings.
* Food deprivation and prolonged solitary confinement.
* Sexual and gender-based violence.
The commission concluded that these actions constitute crimes against humanity, specifically torture and other inhumane acts that cause great suffering or serious injury, when committed as part of what it describes as a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population.
Legal Framework and Official Responses
The findings are situated within the framework of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which defines genocide as acts committed with the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Under this treaty, states also have a duty to prevent and punish genocide, a responsibility that may shape deliberations in the UN Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly and national capitals assessing future arms transfers and security cooperation with Israel.
The report notes that its conclusions could feed into ongoing proceedings at the ICJ and the International Criminal Court, where overlapping allegations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza war are already under formal review.
The Israeli mission in Geneva rejected the report, describing it as a “libellous sham” that ignores Israel’s security needs and Hamas attacks. In its rebuttal, Israel accused Hamas of systematically diverting fuel and humanitarian aid intended for hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. Hamas has rejected these claims, while other international bodies have accused Israel of blocking essential aid from entering Gaza.
Israel has consistently denied allegations of genocide and systematic targeting of civilians, arguing that civilian deaths result from lawful military operations against armed groups embedded in densely populated areas. It has nonetheless maintained critical diplomatic and military support from key allies, including the United States and the United Kingdom, even as domestic and parliamentary debates in those countries intensify over continued weapons transfers and political backing.
The findings add to a growing body of research from genocide scholars and rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which conclude that Israel intends to destroy Palestinians as a group or is engaged in conduct that meets the legal threshold for genocide. Separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes, a move that could complicate his travel and further isolate Israel in multilateral forums.
The commission’s report has been submitted to UN authorities for further review and potential action, including possible referrals to judicial bodies, the establishment of reparations mechanisms for victims and renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire and protection measures for Palestinian children.
