Israel’s deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Distr.: General

18 June 2026

Original: English

Human Rights Council

Sixty-second session

“The essence of childhood has been destroyed”: Israel’s

deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in the Occupied

Palestinian Territory since 7 October 2023

Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the

Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,

and Israel

Summary

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian

Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel examines violations and crimes against and

affecting Palestinian children, including serious physical and psychological harm by the Israeli

security forces since 7 October 2023 resulting in the death of at least 20,179 and injury of

44,143 children.

The paper describes the deliberate targeting and killing of Palestinian children,

including post-ceasefire since the October 2025 Gaza peace plan. The Commission also

examines a sharp increase in violence perpetrated by members of Israeli settlers against

Palestinian children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The Commission examines the use of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment,

including sexual and gender-based violence, against Palestinian children, particularly during

mass arrests and in detention. It analyses pattern of Israel’s targeting of critical infrastructure

essential to children, such as healthcare facilities and its short- to long-term consequences, as

well as the impact of reproductive violence on newborns, resulting in poor neonatal health and

birthing outcomes; attacks on orphanages and schools, impacting the loss of care for orphans

and unaccompanied children, and inducing academic harm and learning disruptions for

children, respectively.

The Commission examines the impact of the conditions of life imposed by Israel in

Gaza resulting in preventable mortality of children, exacerbating morbidity, and serious mental

trauma from the relentless and widespread attacks by Israel over two years – collectively

revealing severe, multi-layered harm to Palestinian children’s survival, health, and

development. Further, the Commission examines how Israeli soldiers mock and weaponize

symbols of childhood in Gaza, raising ethical, disciplinary and legal questions about the

conduct of the Israeli security forces during the ground invasion of Gaza.

Lastly, the Commission provides recommendations to diverse stakeholders for the

cessation of attacks, reparations, accountability and international enforcement of sanctions –

aimed at advancing child-responsive justice.

Further Reading: A/HRC/62/CRP.2

Contents

I. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 3

II. Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

III Applicable legal framework ................................................................................................................................ 4

IV. Physical harm against Palestinian children by Israel ........................................................................................... 8

A. Child casualties due to Israel’s use of explosive weapons in populated areas .................................................... 8

B. Deliberate targeting of children by the Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip ............................................... 13

C. Killing and maiming of children by the Israeli security forces in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem ... 21

D. Killing and other forms of violence against children by Israeli settlers and other Israeli civilians ................... 24

E. Mistreatment of children during arrest and in detention ................................................................................... 25

F. Sexual and gender-based violence Palestinian children ................................................................................. 29

G. Attacks on healthcare and its impact on children and newborns ....................................................................... 32

H. Attacks on and military occupation of educational facilities and its impact on children .................................. 38

I. Attacks and damage to facilities caring for children (orphanages) in Gaza and their impact ........................... 46

J. Impact of displacement and siege on children’s conditions of life in Gaza ...................................................... 48

V. Mental harm against Palestinian children against by Israel ............................................................................... 55

A. Children’s mental health and conditions in Gaza .............................................................................................. 55

B. Children’s mental health and conditions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem ..................................... 57

VI. Dehumanization of Palestinian childhood ......................................................................................................... 59

VII. Analysis and legal findings ............................................................................................................................... 60

A. Extermination and wilful killing ....................................................................................................................... 61

B. Persecution and enforced disappearance ........................................................................................................... 63

C. Torture and other inhumane acts ....................................................................................................................... 64

D. Sexual and gender-based violence against children .......................................................................................... 65

E. Violations related to attacks on facilities caring for children (orphanages) ...................................................... 65

F. Violations related to attacks on educational facilities ....................................................................................... 66

G. Violations related to attacks on healthcare facilities ......................................................................................... 67

H. Reproductive violence and its direct impact on newborn health and neonatal deaths....................................... 68

I. Conditions of life affecting children in Gaza due to measures imposed by Israel ............................................ 70

J. Destruction of children’s belongings ................................................................................................................ 71

K. Violations committed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Israel ........................................... 71

L. Violations of international humanitarian law .................................................................................................... 74

M. Summary of International Criminal Law findings ............................................................................................ 76

VIII. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................................... 80

IX. Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................. 84

A. To the Government of the State of Israel: ......................................................................................................... 84

B. To all the Member States and those involved in ceasefire negotiations: ........................................................... 85

C. To the UN Security Council: ............................................................................................................................. 86

D. To the UN General Assembly: .......................................................................................................................... 86

E. To the UN Secretary General: ........................................................................................................................... 86

F. To the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court: ..................................................................................... 87

X. Annex

Chronology/timeline .......................................................................................................................................... 88

Key events in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October 2023 ...... 88

Timeline ................................................................................................................................................................... 89

2

A/HRC/62/CRP.2

I. Introduction

1. This Conference Room Paper (CRP) of the Independent International Commission of

Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (the

Commission) examines Israeli violations and crimes against Palestinian children in the

Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as their short- to long-term impact on children,

between 7 October 2023 and 31 March 2026. The Commission has published four mandated

reports and four conference room papers since 7 October 2023.

1

2. This report presents the Commission’s new and expanded findings on the intentional

targeting, arrests and ill-treatment, sexual and gender-based violence, attacks on educational

facilities and healthcare, and the conditions imposed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

which directly affect children. For the purpose of this report, a ‘child’ means “every human

being below the age of 18 years”, consistent with article 1 of the Convention on the Rights

of the Child (CRC).

3. Since 7 October 2023, the Commission has sent 13 requests for information and/or

access to the Government of Israel, four requests for information to the State of Palestine and

one request for information to the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip. The State of Palestine

and the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip provided information to the Commission. No

responses were received from the Government of Israel.

4. The Commission’s comprehensive findings on violations and abuses against Israeli

children committed by the military wing of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on

and since 7 October 2023 were presented in its reports to the Human Rights Council in June

2024 and to the General Assembly in October 2024, as well as in a separate conference room

paper published in June 2024.

2

5. In these reports, the Commission found that Israeli children were subjected to physical

and emotional mistreatment on 7 October 2023. In addition to the 40 children who were killed

and hundreds injured, many children lost one or both parents. Many children witnessed the

killings of their parents and siblings and were also filmed for propaganda purposes by

Palestinian armed groups who published videos depicting Israeli children in vulnerable

positions while they were under the control of the armed elements. The Commission finds it

particularly egregious that children were targeted for abduction, several of them taken alone.

The Commission concluded that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups committed war

crimes and crimes against humanity, including against Israeli children and child hostages.3

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/coi-report-23jun26/