UN Report Documents Scale of Child Casualties and Systemic Impunity in Gaza
A new report from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry reveals that at least 20,179 children were killed and 44,143 injured in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025....
A new report from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry reveals that at least 20,179 children were killed and 44,143 injured in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025.
Table Of Content
Casualties and Targeted Attacks
The commission reports that child deaths account for 30 percent of all fatalities and 26 percent of all injuries during the documented period. Interviews with medical personnel from Gaza hospitals indicate that many children suffered single gunshot wounds, a pattern experts suggest points to deliberate targeting rather than incidental fire.
Systemic Impunity
Experts noted an absence of investigations into these incidents, characterizing the situation as systemic impunity. The commission stated that Israeli security forces often deflect responsibility by labeling Palestinian children as terrorists rather than victims, a practice intended to distort the reality of events and further marginalize the affected families.
The Case of Hind Rajab
The report details the death of a seven-member family fleeing in a car from Tal al-Hawa. Five-year-old Hind Rajab survived the initial attack but was trapped in the vehicle with the bodies of her relatives; it took 12 days to recover the remains of the girl and the two Red Crescent rescuers who were sent to assist her.
Trauma and Sexual Violence
Medical staff reported treating children who had lost their entire families, often shielding them from the news of their relatives’ deaths. Furthermore, the commission documented allegations of sexual violence used as a systematic tool to humiliate and degrade children, with reports of minors being raped by guards while in custody.
Israel Rejects Findings
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the report as a propaganda piece aimed at slandering the nation. Officials claimed the commission ignores the murder and kidnapping of Israeli children by Hamas and overlooks the militant group’s alleged use of Palestinian children as human shields.