The U.N. secretary-general is set to announce to the Security Council that both Israel and Hamas are violating children’s rights in their conflict in an effort to eliminate each other. The annual global list of states and militias that are threatening children includes parties such as the Kachin Independence Army and last year, Russia. Israel is set to join this list, which will likely increase tensions between the country and the global body. The U.S., a permanent member of the Security Council, has been hesitant to act against Israel, its longtime ally, in the past.
Israel reacted with outrage to being included on the list of countries threatening children’s rights, stating that this decision would only give Hamas hope to continue the conflict. The Palestinian U.N. ambassador believes that this is an important step in the right direction, although it will not bring back the thousands of children who have been killed by Israel over the decades. The move heightened the already strained relationship between Israel and the U.N., with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that the U.N. has put itself on the “blacklist of history.”
The U.N. found that the proportion of women and children being killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict has decreased significantly, with the death rate for women and children now below 40%. This trend contradicts the Gaza Health Ministry’s public statements and coincides with Israel’s changing battlefield tactics. U.N. agencies have warned that over 1 million Palestinians in Gaza could face starvation by the middle of next month if the conflict continues, due to heavy restrictions on humanitarian access and the collapse of the local food system.
The U.N. regularly compiles a list of parties engaged in actions such as killing and maiming children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and other forms of violence against children. Last year, Russian forces were included on the list, but no action was taken by the Security Council. The revelation that Israel is set to be included in this year’s report has sparked condemnation from various Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.N. ambassador Gilad Erdan. The move has brought together Israel’s increasingly fractious leadership in opposition to the decision.
The inclusion of Israel in the report will shine a spotlight on the country’s conduct in the Gaza conflict, while increasing tensions between Israel and the U.N. Israeli leaders have expressed outrage at being listed alongside groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The U.N. found that the death rate for women and children in the conflict has decreased significantly, indicating a change in battlefield tactics. Despite this shift, concerns about civilian casualties and hunger in Gaza persist, with the World Food Program warning of potential starvation for over 1 million Palestinians if hostilities continue.
