Children in Conflict: New Global Watchlist Looms

The United Nations has raised a warning that Israeli settler groups may soon be added to an international blacklist for harming children. In its latest report on children and armed conflict, the UN recorded 38, 558 serious violations worldwide in 2025, a record figure since the organization began tracking such incidents in 1996. These violations harmed 24, 174 children, including 14, 224 who were killed or maimed. The number of deaths rose by 34 % from the previous year, reaching 6, 266. The report confirmed that 2, 668 Palestinian children were killed in Gaza and 57 in the West Bank. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel. Israeli forces responded with a large‑scale military campaign that has since caused tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties. The UN report listed the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel as the regions with the highest violation rates in 2025, followed by countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia. Israel already appears on a UN “list of shame” for alleged violations, but this edition marks settlers as a potential future listing. Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres expressed shock at the scale of grave violations against children in both Israel and the occupied territories, citing widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas. He specifically warned that if Israeli settler attacks continue to produce high numbers of violations, those groups could be blacklisted in 2026.According to the report, Israeli forces were linked to 9, 465 grave violations, while settlers accounted for 326. “Grave violations” encompass killings, maiming, sexual violence, and attacks on schools or hospitals. The United Nations mission in Israel has not yet replied to a request for comment. Hamas and its allied factions remain on the blacklist, accused of killing, maiming, and abducting children. The new report follows a separate UN listing that names Israel among countries suspected of sexual violence in conflict zones, a move that prompted the Israeli foreign ministry to threaten cutting ties with the UN secretary‑general. Being blacklisted does not automatically impose sanctions but can damage a country’s reputation and requires negotiation of action plans to be removed from the list. The UN’s latest findings highlight the urgent need for accountability and protection of children in conflict zones worldwide. It underscores how persistent violence can lead to international scrutiny and potential punitive measures.