Israeli armed and security forces have once again been included in the United Nations Secretary-General’s annual list of parties committing grave violations against children, according to the Children and Armed Conflict report released Thursday.
The listing comes amid what the report describes as “an alarming rise” in violations against children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza. The UN verified 8,554 grave violations against 2,959 children in 2023, of which 7,188 were attributed to Israeli forces.
Among the verified violations were the killings of 1,259 Palestinian children in Gaza, mostly due to Israeli air strikes and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
In the Occupied West Bank, 97 Palestinian children were killed, the majority by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces. Additionally, 1,561 Palestinian children were maimed-many by Israeli air strikes, live ammunition, and tear gas.