Gaza child casualties: UN inquiry reports 20,179 children killed; Israel rejects findings

A UN commission chaired by Srinivasan Muralidhar reported that Israeli forces killed more than 20,000 Palestinian children in Gaza. The commission said it found evidence of deliberate, targeted attacks on children. It also linked child deaths to the wider hostilities since October 2023. Israel rejected the findings and disputed the report’s credibility.

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In a 100-page report, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry recorded deaths and injuries over two years. It said that from October 7, 2023, to October 7, 2025, at least 20,179 children died. It added that 44,143 children were injured. Children were 30 per cent of deaths and 26 per cent of injuries.

UN commission report on Palestinian children killed in Gaza

At a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday, Muralidhar described the commission’s evidence. "The commission found indisputable evidence with regard to the deliberate, targeted killing of Palestinian children, including since the October 2025 ceasefire, the use of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, including use of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinian children, as well as targeting of critical infrastructure essential to children, such as orphanages, health care, and educational facilities,\" Muralidhar said.

Muralidhar also said the harm to children was widespread over the period studied. The commission examined alleged violations by Israeli security forces since October 7 2023. That date followed a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. The Hamas-led attack killed about 1,200 people. It also saw 251 people taken hostage.

The report said Gaza’s children faced earlier trauma even before the war period examined. It noted that until October 7, 2023, about half of Gaza’s population was under 18. It said these children had grown up under Israeli blockade and occupation. The commission also compared the share of child deaths to earlier wars.

It said children were about 24 per cent of conflict deaths in 2008-2009 and 2014. The commission said the later share was higher. It also estimated the scale against Gaza’s child population. It said children killed in Gaza were about two per cent of Gaza’s 1.2 million child population by October 2025.

The commission gave details of deaths among the youngest children. It said at least 5,031 children under five years were killed. Of these, 1,029 children were under the age of one. It added that about 420 were newborns. The commission said the total number of child victims was likely higher.

It cited an estimate from Save the Children about missing children. It said some 5,160 children were estimated to be buried under the rubble. The commission also reviewed reports of rising violence against children beyond Gaza. It examined a sharp increase in attacks by members of Israeli settlers against Palestinian children.

Israeli response to UN commission report on Palestinian children killed

Israel rejected the report and called it a libelous sham. \"The COI is a fundamentally flawed mechanism whose very purpose is to single out and vilify Israel rather than seek the truth,\" it said. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also criticised what it called missing context. It said the report ignored Hamas actions and lacked verification.

Reacting to the report, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said it completely erases Israeli children who were brutally murdered, kidnapped, and targeted by Hamas, while ignoring Hamas cynical use of Palestinian children as human shields and pawns of war. The ministry also said the commission had no credible way to verify its claims. Israel did not accept the report’s conclusions.

Claims of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza and West Bank

Muralidhar said the commission linked attacks on children to political aims. Muralidhar said that the commissions findings are that Israel targets children to weaken demographic vitality and deny the Palestinian peoples right to self-determination. Muralidhar said the report finds deliberate targeting and killing of children. It also said childhoods were destroyed by the violence.

The report said Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces are responsible for crimes against humanity, including persecution and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, and war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Muralidhar also linked child protection to political rights. \"By targeting children, Israel is eroding the foundational structure of Palestinian society, weakening the demographic vitality and overall capacity of the Palestinian people to sustain and exercise its right to determine its future as a people,\" he said.

On the West Bank, the report addressed settler violence and state policy. \"Our report concludes that the settler violence in the West Bank functions as a means of implementing Israeli state policies, with both the state and violent settler groups working in collaboration towards the same strategic objective: unlawful territorial expansion,\" he said. The commission said it reviewed incidents in East Jerusalem too.

The commission also criticised Hamas for abuses in Gaza. Muralidhar said the report also concludes that Hamas has repeatedly committed grave abuses against Palestinians in Gaza, using the cover of Israeli military offensives and the broader collapse of law and order to carry out campaigns of repression, torture, and unlawful killings of Palestinians. The report treated these findings as part of its wider inquiry.

The report called for action by Israel and the UN Security Council. It asked Israel to immediately halt military operations in Gaza. It also sought accountability for crimes against and affecting Palestinian children. It urged sanctions, travel bans, asset freezes, and financial restrictions. It also called for a ban on two-way military-related trade with Israel.

Muralidhar’s commission presented its findings as evidence-based, while Israel dismissed them as biased. The report set out death and injury figures, plus claims of wider abuses. It also documented settler violence and criticised Hamas actions in Gaza. The commission’s recommendations focused on halting operations, pursuing accountability, and seeking international measures through the UN.

With inputs from PTI