The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel has released a comprehensive, 100-page report documenting what it describes as ‘indisputable evidence’ of deliberate crimes committed by Israeli authorities and security forces against Palestinian children. The report concludes that these actions constitute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Presented by the Commission’s chair, Dr. S. Muralidhar, the report highlights a ‘widespread and systematic killing and harming of children’. Between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025, the Commission recorded the deaths of more than 20,000 children, with an additional 44,000 children reported injured. Children currently constitute 30% of all those killed in the occupied Palestinian territory, and the Commission notes that the killing and injuring of children has become a ‘continuing activity’.
The report identifies two primary methods used in these killings. The first involves the use of high-yield explosives in air strikes, which produce wide-area effects. The second, more targeted method involves the use of quadcopters, drones, and sniper rifles, which the report alleges are used to specifically target children in the head and upper body.
The Commission found that the Israeli military has systematically disrupted the ability of Palestinian children to learn, an attempt to sabotage the intellectual and social foundations of Palestinian society. The statistics regarding education are catastrophic, 97% of all schools have been destroyed, and 95% of universities in Gaza have been affected. Specifically, 22 out of 38 universities have been completely demolished.
Beyond education, the report details a ‘severe orphan crisis’, estimating that 58,554 children lost one or both parents between October 2023 and October 2025. Critical infrastructure essential for child welfare, such as healthcare facilities and orphanages, has also been targeted.
The deliberate targeting of children is a strategic effort to weaken the ‘demographic vitality’ of the Palestinian people and deny their right to self-determination. Because children represent the ‘future-bearers of their collective identity’, the Commission argues that eroding the foundational structure of the youth is an attempt to weaken the overall capacity of the Palestinian people to sustain themselves as a group.
The report further substantiates findings of genocide by pointing to the ‘imposition of conditions of life obstructing children’s survival’. This includes the use of starvation as a method of warfare; as of October 1, 2025, the Commission recorded 151 deaths among children due to malnutrition. Additionally, between October and December 2023, there were at least 1,000 instances of children undergoing amputations of one or more limbs.
The report extends its scope beyond Gaza, concluding that settler violence in the West Bank is being used as a tool to implement state policies for ‘unlawful territorial expansion’. It describes a collaboration between the state and violent settler groups working toward the same strategic goals.
Furthermore, the Commission addressed abuses within Gaza, stating that Hamas has repeatedly committed grave abuses against Palestinians. According to the findings, Hamas used the collapse of law and order during Israeli military offensives to carry out campaigns of ‘repression, torture, and unlawful killings’ of Palestinians.
Despite a ceasefire announced in October 2025, the Commission reports that Palestinians continue to be killed and harmed in Gaza. The report contradicts recent claims made to the Security Council that conditions have improved, noting instead that humanitarian aid remains far below necessary levels. Moreover, the report cites clear statements from the Israeli Prime Minister indicating an aim to seize at least 70% of the Gaza Strip, a move the Commission labels a violation of international law.
The report also condemns the ‘severe mistreatment’ of detainees, including Flotilla activists. It cites evidence of Palestinian detainees being subjected to torture, rape, and sexual abuse by Israeli forces.
In its conclusion, the Commission made a series of recommendations to member states and the Security Council, urging immediate action toward accountability. Dr. Muralidhar emphasised that the Commission would continue to pursue its mandate to ensure ‘state responsibility and individual criminal and command responsibility’ for these documented violations.
