UN warns Israeli settlers could join blacklist for violations against children

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned on Wednesday that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children as he voiced alarm at a "staggering" rise in violations against Palestinian children.

The world body's annual report on Children and Armed Conflict recorded 38,558 "grave violations" globally in 2025, affecting 24,174 children, the latter figure a record since CAAC's mandate began in 1996.

The data showed 14,224 children killed or maimed, with a 34 per cent rise over 2024 in the number killed to 6,266. It said the United Nations had verified the killing of 2,668 Palestinian children in Gaza and 57 in the West Bank.

The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign that has since killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

"Countries with the highest levels of violations in 2025 were the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia," a senior UN official said in a briefing on the report.

SETTLER GROUPS IN FOCUS

Israel itself already features in the report's so-called list of shame annexes for alleged violations, but the latest version, for the first time, highlights settlers as a potential future listing.

"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 in the report.

"I am deeply alarmed at the staggering rise in attacks carried out by Israeli settlers resulting in grave violations against Palestinian children,” Guterres added.

He said Israeli settler groups should be listed if the high number of violations is repeated in 2026.

The report said 9,465 grave violations were attributed to Israeli forces and 326 to Israeli settlers.

It defines grave violations as including the killing and maiming of children and other forms of sexual violence, alongside attacks on schools and hospitals.

Israel's UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

HAMAS REMAINS ON BLACKLIST

The report continues to blacklist Hamas’ armed wing and affiliated factions for killing and maiming children and for abductions, and attributes 2,806 violations to Palestinian armed groups.

The new report comes weeks after Guterres infuriated Israel by adding it to a separate UN blacklist of countries and parties suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, a move that prompted Israel's foreign ministry to say it would sever all ties with him.

Guterres said he was alarmed by the high number of children detained by Israel and reports of severe physical violence and poor conditions during detention, saying these "may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

Being blacklisted does not trigger automatic sanctions, but brings reputational harm and requires the negotiation of action plans to secure delisting.