A draft of the forthcoming annual UN report on children in conflict zones, scheduled for release in June and obtained by Digital, is generating controversy due to its framing of Israelis. Critics point out the omission of several instances of Israeli children victimized in the current conflict, alongside accusations leveled against Israel.
The report’s section concerning Israeli and Palestinian children is said to contain inconsistencies, presenting both verified and unverified data without clearly identifying the sources responsible for verifying the figures. This lack of transparency raises concerns about the report’s overall reliability.
According to a statement sent exclusively to Digital by Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon, “We will not cooperate with a report that serves as a platform for baseless slander against Israel.”
The report alleges that the IDF kidnapped a Palestinian girl, a claim that is stated as verified, yet the U.N. provides no details regarding the verification process or specific information about the incident, including the location of the alleged abduction or the girl’s current status.
One of the more serious allegations involves the IDF using 27 Palestinian children as human shields in the West Bank and Gaza. The report asserts that these cases have been verified, but again, it fails to identify who confirmed them. The use of human shields is not a recognized IDF practice, but Hamas has faced accusations of this tactic for years.
“There are reports of the use of human shields by Hamas’ Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip,” the draft report states.
The report also appears to attribute another Hamas tactic to Israel: using schools and hospitals as military outposts. Both Israel and the U.S. have presented evidence that Hamas has utilized hospitals in Gaza for military purposes.
In November 2023, shortly after the war’s start, IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus shared a video from Gaza showing weapons caches, Hamas paraphernalia, and ammunition located within a hospital facility.
Furthermore, the report criticizes Israel for denying Palestinians aid. However, it fails to mention the looting of aid trucks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported in November 2024 that 97 out of 109 aid trucks entering Gaza from Israel were “violently looted.”
Notable omissions in the report include the failure to name the two Israeli boys killed in captivity in Gaza or mention that their captors were responsible for their deaths. The draft report also excludes any reference to the 12 Druze children killed by Hezbollah rocket fire while playing soccer in northern Israel.
Ambassador Danon stated to Digital, “The secretary-general once again chooses to blatantly ignore the violence and harm done to Israeli children. Based on this report, Israeli lives do not matter and are not worthy of attention. Israel will not let diplomatic terrorism prevail.”
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