Gaza Herald — A landmark United Nations investigation has concluded that Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip was not an unintended consequence of war, but a deliberate component of what the commission described as a genocidal campaign. The report documents the killing of more than 20,000 children, alongside evidence of sniper attacks, drone strikes, starvation, torture, and the destruction of hospitals and schools, arguing that these actions targeted the future of the Palestinian people by devastating an entire generation.
The nearly 100-page report examines the impact of Israel’s military campaign on Palestinian children between October 7, 2023, and March 31, 2026. It documents killings, life-changing injuries, attacks on healthcare and education systems, forced displacement, and the collapse of essential conditions needed for children’s survival.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, said it found “reasonable grounds” to conclude that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. The commission stated that the documented pattern of attacks against Palestinian children formed a central part of the evidence supporting its findings.
Israel rejected the report, describing its conclusions as politically motivated and defamatory.
More Than 20,000 Palestinian Children Killed
The commission documented the deaths of more than 20,000 Palestinian children in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025.
During the same period, more than 40,000 children were wounded, while over 58,500 children lost one or both parents, creating one of the largest orphan crises in modern history.
Investigators warned that the actual number of child deaths is likely higher, as thousands of victims remain buried beneath destroyed buildings and many deaths have not been officially recorded.
The report emphasized that children represent the continuity and future of any society, arguing that the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children is a key element in assessing genocidal intent under international law.
Precision Attacks on Palestinian Children
The inquiry found that Israeli forces repeatedly used precision weapons against Palestinian children, including sniper rifles and quadcopter drones.
Medical professionals working across Gaza described treating numerous children with single gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and upper body, injuries that investigators said were consistent with deliberate targeting.
The commission reviewed multiple cases in which children appeared to have been attacked despite posing no threat.
Among the incidents documented were:
* Five-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed after becoming trapped inside a vehicle with members of her family who had already been killed. Rescue workers attempting to reach her were also attacked.
* A 15-year-old boy who was shot while carrying a white flag after leaving his home following an Israeli evacuation order.
* A 10-day-old infant who was reportedly shot in the head by a drone while being breastfed inside a displacement tent.
* A four-year-old girl who was left permanently paralyzed after being shot while eating with her family inside a tent.
* An eight-year-old child who was wounded by sniper fire while playing outside in the Bureij refugee camp.
The commission concluded that these cases reflected a pattern of attacks inconsistent with accidental civilian harm.
Children Continued to Be Killed After the Ceasefire
The report found that Palestinian children continued to be killed and injured even after the October 2025 ceasefire.
More than 260 children were reportedly killed after the truce began, including children attempting to return to their homes or collect basic necessities near the Israeli-imposed “Yellow Line.”
One documented case involved two brothers, aged nine and ten, who were killed while collecting firewood for their wheelchair-bound father. The commission found that they were clearly identifiable as children and posed no threat when they were targeted.
Gaza’s Healthcare Collapse Devastated Children and Newborns
The commission found that Israel’s military campaign severely damaged Gaza’s healthcare system, particularly pediatric and maternity services.
All three major children’s hospitals in Gaza stopped functioning during the early stages of the war, while neonatal intensive care units suffered severe shortages of electricity, medical supplies, incubators, and essential equipment.
Medical workers reported being forced to place multiple premature infants inside single incubators as hospitals struggled to cope with the destruction.
In one of the report’s most disturbing findings, investigators documented the discovery of decomposed newborn babies still connected to life-support machines after Israeli forces prevented medical teams from evacuating patients from Al-Nasr Pediatric Hospital.
The commission also linked the blockade and destruction of healthcare services to rising miscarriage rates, increased maternal deaths, premature births, and worsening infant malnutrition.
Education System Nearly Destroyed
The report found that Israel’s military campaign devastated Gaza’s education system.
Nearly all schools in the territory sustained damage or were destroyed, leaving hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children without formal education for three consecutive academic years.
The commission documented videos showing Israeli soldiers celebrating the destruction of schools, mocking Palestinian students, and posting footage of demolished educational institutions online.
Investigators also found that Israeli forces seized some schools and used them as military facilities.
Starvation and the Collapse of Basic Survival Conditions
The commission concluded that Israel’s blockade and military restrictions severely limited Palestinian children’s access to food, clean water, and humanitarian assistance.
Hundreds of children died from malnutrition, while prolonged hunger caused lasting physical and psychological harm among survivors.
The report also noted that restrictions on humanitarian operations disrupted vaccination campaigns and contributed to the return of diseases such as polio in Gaza after years of eradication.
Violence Against Palestinian Children in the West Bank
Beyond Gaza, the commission examined violations against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Investigators documented more than 200 child fatalities, along with cases of arbitrary detention, torture, and attacks by Israeli settlers.
The report stated that Palestinian boys were frequently treated as security threats based on their identity rather than their individual actions.
Torture and Abuse in Detention
The inquiry documented widespread allegations of torture and abuse against Palestinian children held in Israeli detention.
Former child detainees described beatings, prolonged restraint, deprivation of food and medical care, sleep deprivation, threats involving military dogs, and severe psychological abuse.
The commission also received testimonies describing sexual violence against detained children.
Investigators concluded that these practices appeared systematic rather than isolated and may amount to crimes against humanity.
Dehumanization Beyond the Battlefield
The report also examined footage showing Israeli soldiers destroying and mocking Palestinian children’s belongings.
Investigators documented incidents involving soldiers damaging toys, ridiculing personal possessions, and displaying children’s belongings in degrading ways.
The commission concluded that such actions reflected a broader pattern of dehumanization toward Palestinian children rather than isolated misconduct.
UN Calls for Accountability
The commission concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces have committed genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Gaza, while documenting additional war crimes in the occupied West Bank.
It called on the international community to pursue accountability, support criminal investigations, and pressure Israel to comply with international humanitarian law.
The report urged the International Criminal Court to prioritize crimes committed against Palestinian children, warning that the destruction inflicted on Gaza’s youngest generation represents an attack on the future and survival of Palestinian society.
