Children, explosives, and a blacklist: What the UN says about Gaza

The United Nations has once again placed Israel on its notorious “blacklist” for committing grave violations against children in armed conflict, a mark it has held for the second year running.

This designation, according to online media sources, comes amid a prolonged and devastating conflict in Gaza that has now stretched close to 20 months, drawing intense international scrutiny.

On Thursday, June 20, 2025, the UN released its annual report on Children in Armed Conflict, revealing a shocking global rise in violence against children in war-torn regions.

The report highlights that 2024 witnessed an “unprecedented” surge in abuses.

The highest number of violations occurring in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, primarily involved actions by the Israeli military.

Across the world, the UN verified a staggering 25 percent increase in grave violations against children under 18 in 2024 compared to the previous year.

The report documented 41,370 such violations, encompassing killings, maimings, sexual violence and recruitment.

It also covered the use of children in armed groups, and attacks on schools and hospitals—places that should be safe havens for young lives.

The occupied Palestinian territories alone accounted for 8,554 grave violations involving nearly 3,000 children—2,944 Palestinian and 15 Israeli.

Among these were 1,259 Palestinian children confirmed killed and 941 wounded in Gaza.

Gaza is one region under intense Israeli bombardment following a large-scale attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports even higher casualties, with the UN currently verifying claims of an additional 4,470 Palestinian children killed in 2024 amid the ongoing siege and violence.

In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the UN confirmed the deaths of 97 Palestinian children and recorded a total of 3,688 violations.

The report also drew attention to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, which resulted in over 500 children killed or injured last year.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern over the alarming level of child casualties.

He condemned the “intensity of grave violations against children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.”

Guterres criticized the frequent use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas where innocent civilians, including children, suffer immensely.

Guterres reiterated his urgent calls for Israel to respect international humanitarian laws that demand special protections for children, schools, and hospitals.

He emphasized that military operations must carefully distinguish between combatants and civilians and avoid causing excessive harm to innocent lives.

Israel’s mission to the United Nations has yet to respond to the report.

The UN’s blacklist this year also includes the armed wings of Palestinian groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

On the list also are the Qassam Brigades and al-Quds Brigades respectively, both named again for their involvement in violence against children.

Beyond the Palestinian territories, the report details other conflict zones where children have suffered devastating abuses.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo tops the list with over 4,000 grave violations, followed by Somalia with more than 2,500, Nigeria with nearly 2,500, and Haiti with over 2,200 cases.

The sharpest increases in child rights violations were recorded in Lebanon (a staggering 545% rise), Mozambique (525%), Haiti (490%), Ethiopia (235%), and Ukraine (105%).

These numbers reveal that children in many parts of the world are increasingly caught in the crossfire of violence and conflict.

This UN report is a grim reminder of the human cost of war—particularly on the youngest and most vulnerable.

The toll on children’s lives, safety, and futures is enormous and continues to rise, calling on the global community to act with urgency.

The message from the UN is clear: all parties in conflict zones must uphold international laws designed to:

• shield children from harm,
• protect their rights, and,
• ensure their access to education and healthcare.

The failure to do so has devastating consequences, leaving a generation scarred by trauma, loss, and fear.

As the Gaza conflict drags on and other regions experience escalating violence, the eyes of the world remain fixed on the urgent need for peace, protection, and accountability to safeguard children from the horrors of war.

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