London, 26th June 2026 – The United Nations’ Independent International Commission of Inquiry’s latest report has found that Israel continues to commit genocide by deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza. In light of these findings, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) is calling on the UK Government to fulfil its obligations under international law by recognising the genocide, ending all forms of military and political support that risk facilitating Israel’s actions, and taking immediate steps to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. 

These findings come as little surprise to those who have been exposing Israel’s war crimes in Gaza since the start of the genocide in October 2023, which includes the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children. As detailed in the report, this systematic targeting forms part of “a deliberate strategy to destroy the future of the Palestinians in Gaza by targeting their children”.

UN Report Findings

Since the start of the so-called ‘ceasefire’ in October 2025, Israel has violated its terms at least 2,400 times and killed at least 857 Palestinians and wounded 2,486 as of 14th of May 2026. This latest report, which follows the UN’s commission of inquiry’s initial September 2025 report that concluded Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, is a further confirmation of Israel’s crimes.

What Will it Take?

It is deeply concerning that despite the abundance of evidence affirming that Israel is carrying out an intentional genocide against Palestinian in Gaza, which includes analyses by UN investigators, rights bodies such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and genocide scholars worldwide, western governments like the UK (who have still not recognised the genocide) are continuing to enable Israel’s actions.  

It is beyond clear that Israel is intent on destroying Palestinians through genocide and ethnic cleansing, both in Gaza and across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and we must now ask what more evidence countries like the UK require before they decide to prevent and punish Israel for its crimes.  

The report also found that in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, there has been a sharp increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian children, and documented evidence of torture, including sexual and gender-based violence, during mass arrests and detention. There is also a specific focus on Palestinian boys who are routinely subjected to systemic mistreatment in detention, including forced stripping, beatings, and food deprivation. The report concluded that such treatment constitutes the crimes against humanity of torture and other inhumane acts causing great suffering or serious injury.

‘Detainees’ Still Held

Currently, there are at least 9,361 Palestinian “Security” detainees held by Israel in brutal detention centres. This includes around 1,335 sentenced prisoners, 3,386 remand detainees, and 3,324 administrative detainees held without trial. 

Órlaith Roe, ICJP’s Public Affairs and Communications Officer, said: 

“The UN’s commission of inquiry’s latest report finds that about 30% of the people killed in Gaza by Israeli forces so far have been children. This is a chilling reality, and it is frankly staggering that despite the abundance of evidence of Israel’s genocide and its continued war crimes against Palestinians, the UK Government still refuses to call it a genocide.  

But perhaps this comes as no surprise given the UK’s continued involvement in the F-35 supply chain that is still used to murder Palestinian civilians in Gaza. It’s difficult to know how much more evidence the UK needs to determine a genocide by Israel, but the longer it waits, the greater UK complicity in Israel’s crimes becomes.”  

ENDS 

Notes for Editors: 

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.   

For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].

Image: UN Photo/Jean Marc Ferré