OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that Israeli settler groups should be added to the UN blacklist for child rights violations if similar violation numbers occur in 2026. The 2025 UN annual report on Children and Armed Conflict is the first to identify Israeli settler groups as a potential addition to this blacklist.

"I am appalled by the magnitude of grave violations against children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, notably by the widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas," Guterres said. "I am deeply alarmed at the staggering rise in attacks carried out by Israeli settlers resulting in grave violations against Palestinian children," he said. He stated that the high number of children detained by Israel and reports of severe physical violence and poor detention conditions may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment.

The report recorded 38,558 grave violations globally in 2025, affecting 24,174 children. This marked the highest total since the mandate began in 1996. The report verified the killings of 2,668 Palestinian children in Gaza and 57 Palestinian children in the West Bank. The total number of children killed globally in 2025 was 6,266, which represented a 34 percent increase from 2024. A senior UN official indicated that the highest levels of violations against children in 2025 occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia.

Israel is included in the annexes of the report for alleged violations against children. The report attributed 9,465 grave violations against children to Israeli forces and 326 grave violations to Israeli settlers. The UN defines grave violations against children to include the killing and maiming of children, sexual violence, and attacks on schools and hospitals.

Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza. The report retained Hamas's armed wing and affiliated factions on the blacklist for killing, maiming, and abducting children. It also attributed 2,806 violations against children to Palestinian armed groups. Inclusion on the UN blacklist requires listed parties to negotiate action plans for delisting and does not automatically trigger sanctions.