Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, has recently blacklisted the Israel Defense Forces for their role in perpetrating violence against children during conflict. This decision was communicated to Israel’s permanent representative at the UN, Gilad Erdan, in an official notification.
Israel’s representation at the UN has stated that the Israeli army has been included in the UN Secretary-General’s List of Children and Armed Conflict for failing to take adequate measures to protect children during conflict situations. This decision has left Erdan shocked and disgusted, describing it as shameful.
The news of Israel’s listing comes after an eight-month war in Gaza, where thousands of children were among the casualties. Just the day before, an Israeli airstrike on a UN school in central Gaza resulted in the death of over 40 Palestinians, including many children.
Erdan plans to present Israel’s arguments to the UN Security Council at a meeting scheduled for next Friday. Reports from The Guardian indicate that over 13,000 of the 36,500 Palestinians killed during the war were children.
