Over 20,000 Palestinian Children Killed by Israel in "Deliberate, Targeted" Attacks Since 2023: UN Inquiry

A United Nations commission of inquiry has concluded that more than 20,000 Palestinian children were killed in deliberate, targeted attacks by Israeli forces between October 2023 and October 2025 , in findings that Israel has dismissed as a politically motivated fabrication.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry , chaired by retired Indian judge Srinivasan Muralidhar , presented its 100-page report at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. The panel said it had found credible evidence of systematic violence against children in Gaza, including torture, degrading treatment, and sexual and gender-based violence, along with strikes on facilities meant to protect children, such as orphanages, hospitals, and schools.

According to the commission, at least 20,179 children were killed and over 44,000 injured during the two-year period reviewed, accounting for roughly 30 percent of all fatalities in the conflict. The report noted that this proportion marks a sharp rise compared with earlier escalations in 2008-09 and 2014 , when children made up about a quarter of casualties. It also cited an estimate from Save the Children that more than 5,000 additional children may remain buried under rubble.

Muralidhar said the panel's evidence pointed to a deliberate strategy: that Israeli authorities sought to undermine the demographic and social fabric of Palestinian society, thereby weakening the Palestinians' capacity to pursue self-determination . The report also concluded that settler violence in the West Bank served as an extension of state policy aimed at territorial expansion.

Importantly, the commission did not limit its findings to Israeli conduct. It also found that Hamas had committed serious abuses against Palestinians in Gaza, exploiting the chaos of war to carry out repression, torture, and unlawful killings.

The commission has called on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza and ensure accountability for those responsible for crimes against children. It also urged the UN Security Council to impose sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on Israeli officials and military personnel linked to the conduct described in the report.

The findings are likely to intensify diplomatic pressure on Israel at the UN, even as enforcement of any sanctions would require Security Council consensus — a steep hurdle given expected opposition from key allies.