June 20, 2025 — For the second consecutive year, Israel has been added to the United Nations’ blacklist of countries responsible for grave violations against children in armed conflict. The inclusion comes amid what the UN describes as “unprecedented levels” of violence against minors globally, with the most severe abuses reported in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
According to the UN’s Annual Report on Children in Armed Conflict, released Thursday, there was a staggering 25% global surge in confirmed grave violations against children in 2024 compared to the previous year. The report verified 41,370 such violations worldwide — including killings, maimings, sexual violence, and attacks on schools and hospitals.
Of particular concern was the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, where 8,554 grave violations were committed against 2,959 children — overwhelmingly Palestinian (2,944), with 15 Israeli children also affected. The UN confirmed 1,259 Palestinian children killed and 941 injured in Gaza, following Israel’s ongoing military operations in the enclave since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in southern Israel. The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported significantly higher casualty figures, and the UN said it is currently verifying information on an additional 4,470 children reportedly killed in 2024.
In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 97 Palestinian children were confirmed killed among 3,688 recorded violations. The report also cited Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, where over 500 children were killed or wounded last year.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the data, stating he was “appalled by the intensity of grave violations against children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.” He emphasized the need for Israel to adhere to international law, particularly the obligation to protect children and civilians during armed conflict and to avoid disproportionate harm.
There was no immediate response from Israel’s UN delegation. Alongside Israel, the UN also included the Qassam Brigades (Hamas’s armed wing) and the al-Quds Brigades (affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad) on the blacklist for a second year.
Beyond the Palestinian territories, other countries with alarming numbers of violations include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti. The sharpest year-over-year percentage increases in violations were observed in Lebanon (545%), Mozambique (525%), Haiti (490%), Ethiopia (235%), and Ukraine (105%).