United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has included Israel’s military on a global list of offenders for committing violations against children in 2023, announced Israel’s U.N. envoy Gilad Erdan, who condemned the decision as “shameful.” Additionally, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will also be listed, according to a diplomatic source speaking anonymously.
Erdan stated he was officially informed of the decision on Friday, which is included in a report on children and armed conflict due to be submitted to the U.N. Security Council on June 14. The report encompasses six violations, including killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, recruitment and use of children, denial of aid access, and attacks on schools and hospitals. However, specific violations attributed to Israel, Hamas, or Palestinian Islamic Jihad were not immediately clear.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded, stating that the decision “will have consequences for Israel’s relations with the U.N.,” underscoring the longstanding contentious relationship between Israel and the U.N., exacerbated by the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The U.N. reported last month that at least 7,797 children were killed in Gaza during the eight-month-long war, with thousands more displaced. In response, Erdan criticized the decision, asserting that Israel’s army is “the most moral army in the world,” and condemning it as aiding terrorists and rewarding Hamas.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described Erdan’s response as “shocking and unacceptable,” emphasizing that it was a courtesy to inform newly listed countries. Erdan was told that Israel had been included on the list of parties that had not implemented adequate measures to protect children.
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the U.N.’s decision, accusing it of siding with “Hamas murderers.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the decision as a step towards holding Israel accountable for its actions.
The move comes nine years after the U.N. recommended Israel and Hamas be listed for violations during a 2014 war in Gaza. Israel lobbied then U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to avoid inclusion, but ultimately, the report criticized Israel’s actions during the conflict.
The listing of Russia’s armed forces last year for violations in Ukraine and the removal of the Saudi-led military coalition from the list in 2020 for actions in Yemen highlight the broader context of international efforts to hold parties accountable for violations against children in conflict zones.
