Independent U.n.-commissioned Experts Accuse Israel Of Targeting Gaza Children, Repeat Genocide Claim

JERUSALEM — A squad of independent experts commissioned by nan United Nations accused Israel of deliberately shooting children successful Gaza and repeated its accusation that Israel has committed genocide successful nan territory.

Israel vociferously denies claims that it committed genocide during its 2½ twelvemonth warfare successful Gaza.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry connected nan Occupied Palestinian Territory, an investigative assemblage operating nether nan U.N. Human Rights Council, said successful its study Tuesday that astir 30% of nan Palestinians killed from October 2023 to October 2025 — much than 20,000 successful full — were children. More children are believed to beryllium missing aliases buried successful unmarked graves.

Israel has denied deliberately targeting civilians and pushed backmost connected accusations, including from authorities groups, that it committed genocide successful Gaza. Israel’s Foreign Ministry called nan study a “libelous sham” and said nan claims included hadn’t been verified. It besides criticized nan committee arsenic “a fundamentally flawed system whose very intent is to azygous retired and vilify Israel alternatively than activity nan truth.”

The study besides said nan toll nan conflict had taken connected children successful Gaza amounted to warfare crimes and genocide, building connected accusations it first made against Israel successful September.

“Even aft nan October 2025 ceasefire, children proceed to beryllium killed and earnestly injured, pinch continued disregard by Israel for nan ceasefire and for nan protection owed to Palestinian children nether world law,” Srinivasan Muralidhar, nan commission’s chair, said.

The study identified circumstantial divisions wrong nan Israeli service operating successful areas wherever children arsenic young arsenic infants were killed, arsenic good arsenic nan benignant of munitions used. It besides focused, successful part, connected children nan committee wished were killed by quadcopter drones and sniper fire, often via a azygous gunshot.

Doctors interviewed by nan committee said autopsies successful those incidents “indicate a precocious grade of precision successful nan usage of force, suggesting that nan changeable was cautiously aimed alternatively than incidental aliases nan consequence of indiscriminate fire.”

The study besides noted cases successful which children person continued to beryllium killed aft a ceasefire was reached successful October 2025, including immoderate who were said to beryllium collecting firewood successful areas approaching nan yellowish statement that delineates areas nether Israeli subject control.

“By maintaining that nan children killed were ‘suspects,’ nan Israeli information forces person deflected work to Palestinian children, portraying them arsenic ‘terrorists’ alternatively than casualties,” it says.

Israel has criticized nan broader United Nations and strenuously denied nan commission’s past allegations — including of genocide — and says it takes precautions to limit civilian casualties and harm to children. The Israel-Hamas warfare started pinch nan Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught connected confederate Israel that killed astir 1,200 group and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory violative successful Gaza has killed much than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since nan ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

The ministry, portion of nan Hamas-led government, is staffed by aesculapian professionals and maintains elaborate records that are mostly considered reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not separate betwixt civilians and militants but says women and children dress up astir half of each fatalities.

Metz writes for nan Associated Press.