UN report keeps Israeli army on blacklist for violations against children

The United Nations has kept Israeli military and security forces on its “blacklist” of parties that commit grave violations against children in conflict zones for the year 2024.

A report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres indicated that Israel remained on the “blacklist” this year as a party that committed grave violations against children in armed conflict.

The report described Israeli forces as “the party that killed and maimed children” and “the party that attacked schools and/or hospitals.”

He confirmed that 8,554 “grave violations” against 2,944 Palestinian children in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem were committed by the Israeli army and illegal settlers.

He noted that Israeli forces arrested 951 Palestinian children, 602 of whom were in the West Bank, 259 in East Jerusalem, and 90 in the Gaza Strip.

He noted that Israel used 27 Palestinian children as human shields in its military operations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

It revealed that there are 1,561 Palestinian children with disabilities, 1,507 of whom were injured by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and 54 by settlers occupying Palestinian lands.

The report stated that Israeli forces prevented humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians a total of 5,091 times, including 2,828 times in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and 2,263 times in the Gaza Strip.

In the report, Guterres expressed his “deep concern about the continued escalation of grave violations against children by Israeli forces.”

He called for Israel to be held accountable for these grave violations against children and reminded the parties “of their obligations to comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law, to respect the special protection of children, and to protect schools and hospitals.”