UN to declare Israel and Hamas are violating children’s rights in armed conflict

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is set to inform the Security Council next week that both Israel and Hamas are violating children’s rights in their ongoing conflict. This announcement will place both parties on the secretary-general’s annual list of states and groups that endanger children. This list has previously included entities such as the Kachin Independence Army in Myanmar and, more recently, Russia due to its actions in Ukraine.

Guterres’ report to the Security Council will shine a light on the parties responsible for the “killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, and attacks on schools and hospitals.” This report is crucial because it can prompt the Security Council to take action, although the United States, a permanent member with veto power, has historically been reluctant to act against Israel, its close ally.

The inclusion of Israel is expected to increase global scrutiny of its conduct in the Gaza war and further strain its already tense relationship with the U.N. Last year, the U.N. listed Russian forces for their actions in Ukraine, but the Security Council did not take action.

U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that Guterres’ office notified Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, about Israel’s inclusion in the report. In response, Israel expressed outrage, accusing Guterres of enabling Hamas by legitimizing its tactics of using civilian infrastructure for military purposes. Palestinian U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour welcomed the move, seeing it as a step towards accountability for Israel’s actions.

This development exacerbates the longstanding feud between Israel and the U.N., with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing the U.N. for its decision. The move comes amid increasing international condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza, where civilian casualties have drawn significant concern.

As the conflict continues, U.N. agencies have warned that over 1 million Palestinians in Gaza could face severe hunger by mid-July due to restricted humanitarian access and the collapse of the local food system. The ongoing war has led to significant civilian casualties, and recent airstrikes have further intensified the humanitarian crisis.

The trend of declining death rates for women and children in Gaza, highlighted by an Associated Press analysis, indicates changing battlefield tactics by Israel. However, this shift has largely gone unnoticed by the U.N. and the media, and the Gaza Health Ministry has not updated the public record accordingly.

This report will likely add pressure on the international community to address the violations of children’s rights in the Israel-Hamas conflict and seek ways to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.