An independent UN commission of inquiry released a report on June 23, 2026, concluding that Israeli authorities and security forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The commission said these actions constitute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10].

The report found that approximately 30% of those killed in the Gaza war since October 7, 2023, were children. Between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025, at least 20,179 Palestinian children died, representing about 30% of the total death toll during that period [2, 3, 4, 8].

The commission highlighted continued use by Israeli forces of high-payload munitions and wide-area weapons in densely populated residential areas. These tactics caused mounting child casualties, which the report says indicate intentional targeting [2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10]. Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the commission, said, "The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces" [2].

The panel deemed deliberate targeting of children a key element in proving genocidal intent by Israel to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza, in whole or in part. Muralidhar said, "By targeting children, Israel is attacking the very capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and to determine their future" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10].

The report also found Israeli forces continued killing and injuring children even after a ceasefire took effect in October 2025. Muralidhar noted, "Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11].

The UN inquiry documented systematic destruction of Palestinian social infrastructure such as orphanages, schools, and healthcare centers including neonatal and maternity units. The damage to these facilities, combined with arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual abuse in detention, and psychological trauma, worsens survival and development prospects for Palestinian children [12, 9, 11].

A previous commission report from September 2025 had already concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of incitement. Israel strongly rejects the allegations [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10]. Israel's foreign ministry and its mission in Geneva condemned the latest report as "libellous, defamatory, and a propaganda piece," accusing the commission of ignoring Hamas's tactics including the use of Palestinian children as human shields. The Israeli mission said, "Israel dismisses this libelous sham. Every child deserves protection but the report ignores the brutal tactics of Hamas" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10].

The UN Human Rights Council originally established the independent investigation on May 27, 2021, to probe violations in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel [1, 12, 9, 10]. The Gaza war that erupted on October 7, 2023, triggered intensified investigations into violations against Palestinian children [1, 2, 3, 8].

The UN commission’s report marks the latest assessment in ongoing scrutiny of Israel’s conduct amid the conflict. No new ceasefire has been reported since the October 2025 truce, and investigations continue into violence affecting civilians, especially children.