Israel added to UN list of states committing violations against children

Date: 24th June 2024
Category: Violence against children, General measures of implementation

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The United Nations has added Israel and Hamas to its global list of states and armed groups that have committed violations against children. This inclusion follows eight months of conflict in Gaza, where over 13,000 children are estimated to be among the 36,500 killed. The announcement came a day after an Israeli bombing of a UN school in Gaza resulted in over 40 Palestinian deaths, including children.

As well as naming Israel, the report also names Hamas for its actions during the 7th  October attack on Israel, which resulted in nearly 1,200 Israeli deaths, including the killing and kidnapping of children.

The list is part of a broader report on children and armed conflict to be presented to the UN Security Council. The report documents severe violations such as killing, maiming, sexual abuse, abduction, recruitment of children, denial of aid access, and targeting of schools and hospitals.

Compiled by Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary General's special representative for children and armed conflict, the list aims to cast a light on violations and to deter violence against children.