Israel was responsible for the highest number of verified grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2025, according to a new UN report, which recorded a sharp rise in abuses against children in conflict zones worldwide.
The report, titled Children and Armed Conflict 2025 and prepared by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, found that grave violations against children increased by 34 per cent compared with the previous year.
According to the 47-page report, parties to armed conflicts committed a record number of grave violations against children in 2025, marking “the highest number of children affected since the establishment of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate”.
The UN documented 38,558 grave violations against children worldwide during 2025.
These violations included killing and maiming, recruitment and use of children, abduction, rape and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.
