UN Adds Israel to Global List of Offenders Harming Children

In a significant and controversial move, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has added Israel’s military to a global list of offenders that have committed violations against children. 

This inclusion was confirmed by Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, who announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would be included in the secretary-general’s annual report on children in armed conflict, set to be presented to the UN Security Council next week.

The decision to include Israel on this list comes amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, where, according to the Ministry of Health in the enclave, more than 15,500 children have been killed over the past eight months. 

This period of intense violence began with a Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 others, many of whom remain in captivity.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have also been added to the list, alongside the IDF. 

The UN made a point of informing Israel’s UN mission about the decision through a call from Guterres’ chief of staff, a courtesy meant to provide a heads-up and prevent leaks. 

However, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, publicly expressed his outrage. 

In a video call leaked on social media, Erdan called the IDF “the most moral army in the world” and accused Guterres of rewarding terrorists and incentivizing the use of children in terror acts.

Dujarric condemned Erdan’s publication of the private call, describing it as “shocking and unacceptable.” 

He emphasized that in his 24 years with the organization, he had never seen such a breach of protocol.

Israel's inclusion on this list marks a new low in Israel-UN relations, which have been strained significantly during the ongoing conflict. 

Israeli officials have been vocal in their criticism of various UN bodies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the World Health Organization, UN Women, and the UN’s Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. 

These tensions have been exacerbated by the significant loss of UN staff lives in Gaza, the largest in the organization’s history.

The reaction from the Palestinian side has been markedly different. 

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the UN, welcomed the decision, despite acknowledging that it would not reverse the suffering experienced by Palestinian children. 

Mansour sees the inclusion as a step towards ending the perceived double standards and impunity that he claims Israel has enjoyed for decades.

The annual report, which will be officially published on June 18 and discussed in a Security Council debate on June 26, has historically included other countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. 

The ramifications of Israel's addition to this list will be determined by the UN Security Council, whose members will decide on any subsequent actions.

This development has reignited the debate over the UN's role and effectiveness in addressing conflicts involving children. 

While some see the inclusion of the IDF on this list as a necessary step towards accountability, others, like Ambassador Erdan, view it as a politicized move that undermines Israel's efforts to protect itself and its citizens from terrorism. 

As the situation unfolds, the global community will be watching closely to see how these tensions impact the broader dynamics of the Israel-UN relationship and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.