'What evil is this', UN lawyer Chris Sidoti says on anonymisation of Palestinian children deaths

A UN commission said in a report published in June 2026 that Israeli forces had deliberately targeted and dehumanised Palestinian children since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, allegations the commission said had "irreparably" damaged Palestinian childhood and would have long-term consequences for the future of Gaza.

The report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, titled "The essence of childhood has been destroyed," said Israeli forces had "deliberately carried out acts inflicting death and severe bodily and mental harm on hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children, irreparably destroying the sanctity of childhood, including family ties, identity, innocence, safety and future."

The commission said much of the harm suffered by Palestinian children "was not incidental but intended to destroy the existence of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group."

Children "embody biological and social continuity," the report said, adding that the Commission found "reasonable grounds to conclude that these acts form part of a deliberate strategy to destroy the future of the Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children."

The findings follow a previous commission report issued in September 2025 that characterised Israel's actions as genocide.

According to the report, children in Gaza and the occupied West Bank were targeted by snipers and drones, while the destruction of residential buildings, hospitals and schools contributed to mass casualties and the collapse of essential services.

The commission said nearly 22,000 children's bodies had been identified, although it said the number did not represent the total number of child deaths. It added that many other children had suffered life-altering injuries, including amputations.

The report said children in Gaza had lost three full years of formal education and that the destruction of infrastructure had left the population without adequate drinking water or a functioning healthcare system.

The commission also examined what it described as a broader culture of dehumanisation. Referring to videos showing soldiers mocking and desecrating children's toys and clothing, Commission member Chris Sidoti said: "It reflects an act of dehumanisation. Children are not perceived as human beings and are deprived of their most precious possessions, which are used as a means of humiliation."

Sidoti further described the behaviour as a "genuine military culture of degrading Palestinians as a group."

The report said Israeli forces currently occupied at least 60% of Gaza and warned that if this expanded to 70% as planned, about two million people could be confined to an area of 100 to 110 square kilometres.

Sidoti questioned descriptions of current conditions as a ceasefire.

"I've heard the term 'reduced fire' used, and it strikes me as a much more accurate description. The fighting is certainly less intense, but the killings continue," he said.

"It's not a ceasefire, it's reduced firing."

"Children are still being killed, and nothing – absolutely nothing – is being done to begin the work of rebuilding Gaza, which will take decades."

The commission said it had been denied physical access to Gaza but said it relied on remote interviews with victims, witnesses and healthcare professionals, along with forensic analysis of medical reports, X-rays and CT scans conducted by independent pathologists.

It also said it examined thousands of videos posted online, including footage uploaded by Israeli soldiers.

"We have therefore never faced a lack of evidence that would hinder our investigations," Sidoti said.

"The evidence we have gathered will certainly be useful for the investigations of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice."

The commission said Israel was "legally bound to ensure the protection, care and survival of Palestinian children".

Among its recommendations, the commission called on the international community to halt supplies of arms and military equipment to Israel, impose targeted sanctions on officials it said were responsible for violence against children, arrest and hand over Israeli officials subject to International Criminal Court warrants, end the siege of Gaza and ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and support political solutions based on Palestinian self-determination.