UN adds Israeli military to child rights violators’ list
Israel Foreign Minister, Israel Katz
The decision was confirmed by Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan on Friday.
The UN Secretary-General’s annual report, which includes the new listing, documents offences such as the killing of children, denial of access to humanitarian aid, and attacks on schools and hospitals.
The report is set to be presented to the UN Security Council next week.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, condemned the decision, warning it could have serious repercussions for Israel’s relations with the UN.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also criticized the UN for what he called adding itself to the “blacklist of history”.
According to him, the Israeli Defence Forces is the “most moral army in the world” in spite of killing more than 36,000 civilians in Gaza, mostly women and children.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UN’s move, viewing it as a step toward accountability for what he termed Israel’s crimes against Palestinian children.
The ongoing conflict has seen significant casualties. Israel’s National Council for the Child reports that 1,200 Israelis, including 38 children, were killed in Hamas attacks on October 7th of last year while the Israelis killed 36,731 in Gaza, including many children.
Recent UN figures estimate that at least 7,797 children have been killed in Gaza, based on identified bodies.
Israeli air strikes have continue to inflict casualties, with a recent strike on a Gaza school reportedly killing at least 35 people, including 14 children.
Humanitarian organisations have highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, with the Israelis blocking access to the supply of vital humanitarian aids.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees and other groups report that malnutrition and dehydration are claiming children’s lives amid the ongoing conflict and displacement.