U.N. Commission Says Israel Targeted 20,179 Palestinian Children, Calling It Genocide
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 24
U.N. Commission Says Israel Targeted 20,179 Palestinian Children, Calling It Genocide
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 24
Summary
A U.N. independent commission said the Israeli military deliberately targeted Palestinian children in Gaza—amounting to genocide—and in the West Bank—amounting to war crimes.
The three-member inquiry, chaired by former Indian judge Srinivasan Muralidhar, urged international bodies to hold Israeli officials accountable for the alleged abuses.
Its findings build on conclusions released in September that said Israel’s Gaza campaign met the legal definition of genocide, a view the commission said is increasingly shared by genocide experts, including some Israeli scholars and rights groups.
The broader report, covering events since Oct. 7, 2023, said 20,179 Palestinian children were killed and 44,143 injured through March 2026.
Are UN reports fueling 'lawfare' by overlooking the systematic use of human shields by non-state actors?
How can courts prove 'genocidal intent' when a foe's strategy is to maximize their own civilian deaths?
UN Commission Finds Israel Committed Genocide in Gaza: Over 50,000 Children Killed or Injured, Legal and Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies
Overview
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, with Navi Pillay stressing that the international community must not remain silent in the face of this 'genocidal campaign.' The Commission's September 2025 report identified Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as officials who have incited genocide, yet Israeli authorities have not acted against them. The report emphasizes that when clear evidence of genocide emerges, all states are legally obligated to use all available means to stop it, as failure to act amounts to complicity.