Israel Rejects UN Report Alleging Targeting of Palestinian Children as 'Political Blood Libel'

Israel has strongly condemned a new report from the United Nations’ Commission of Inquiry (COI) that alleges the Jewish state has engaged in the "deliberate targeting of Palestinian children" and committed genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Ambassador Danny Danon stated that the report is "not an investigative report" but rather "a political blood libel disguised as a U.N. document." He accused the commission of reaching its conclusions before examining facts and of repeatedly publishing reports with the sole purpose of vilifying Israel. Danon further criticized the commission for not addressing Hamas's crimes, the October 7th massacre, the hostages, or Hamas's use of children as human shields, instead choosing to "place Israel in the dock."

"Israel will continue to defend its citizens and fight terrorism, regardless of how many false reports are published by fringe actors within U.N. institutions," Danon told Fox News Digital.

The COI report, released Wednesday, stated that "based on the evidence reviewed, and consistent with its previous reports, the Commission finds on reasonable grounds that the Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces have continued to commit the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip and war crimes in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem."

Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission, informed reporters that "the evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces." He added that "even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law."

Analysts have raised concerns about the report's methodology and impartiality. Anne Bayefsky, President of Human Rights Voices and Director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, argued that the COI's "sham ‘inquiry’ makes the totally unjustified claim of legal authority, while at the same time systematically violating every conceivable legal rule of fairness, impartiality, and due process." Bayefsky noted that the report fails to mention the deaths of Israeli children, such as 9-month-old Kfir Bibas, and ignores the trauma experienced by Israeli children following the October 7th attacks.

Jonathan Conricus, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, stated the report contains "no evidence to support any of the claims against Israel" and is filled with "inconsistencies in methodology." He described the report as an "escalation" and a "severe attempt by the U.N. ecosystem to delegitimize Israel."

Salo Aizenberg, director of media watchdog HonestReporting, criticized the report for presenting a "fictional battlefield where Hamas and [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] do not exist" and for accusing Israel of deliberately targeting children without providing evidence of intent. Aizenberg asserted that the report erases Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from the narrative, creating a false perception of Israeli aggression.

Representatives for the COI and the Human Rights Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. chief Antonio Guterres, stated that the report is "not his report to comment on."