The UN reported on Thursday that violence against children in conflict zones reached “unprecedented levels,” with the Israeli army committing the most violations in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
According to the annual report on children in armed conflict, “a staggering” 25 percent increase in grave crimes against children under the age of 18 was reported in the world’s 2023 annual report. It claimed to have verified 41, 370 grave crimes against children, including those committed by children, including those committed in hospitals and schools, and those committed by children.
In Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, 8, 554 grave crimes were committed against 2, 959 children, including 2 944 Palestinians and 15 Israelis.
In Gaza, which has been repeatedly bombarded by Israeli forces as a result of an attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, 1, 259 Palestinian children were killed and 941 were injured, according to the figures.
The UN said it is currently reviewing information on an additional 4, 470 children killed in the besieged territory in 2024, and the Gaza-based ministry of health has released much higher figures.
The UN confirmed the killing of 97 Palestinian children in occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where 3, 688 violations were documented, in addition to the UN’s verification of that report.
Additionally, the report praised Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, where more than 500 children perished or were injured last year.
In response to the widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern over the “intensity of grave violations against children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.”
Guterres also reiterated his demands on Israel to abide by international law, which forbids special protections for children, protection for schools and hospitals, and compliance with the law that allows attacks to distinguish between fighters and civilians, and to prevent excessive harm to innocent people.
Israel’s UN mission made no immediate comment.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group’s armed wing, Hamas, Qassam Brigades, and al-Quds Brigades, were also listed on the blacklist a second time.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (more than 4, 000 grave violations), Somalia (more than 2, 500), Nigeria (nearly 2, 500), and Haiti (more than 2, 200) were the following nations, according to the UN, which had the highest rate of violence against children in 2024.
Source: Aljazeera
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