UN warns Israeli settlers could join blacklist for violations against children

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children, citing a “staggering” increase in abuses documented in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.

The warning came as the United Nations released its annual Children and Armed Conflict report, which recorded 38,558 grave violations globally in 2025, affecting 24,174 children — the highest number of affected children since the mandate began in 1996.

According to the report, 14,224 children were killed or maimed during the year, including a 34% rise in child deaths compared to 2024. A total of 6,266 children were reported killed. The United Nations verified the deaths of 2,668 Palestinian children in Gaza and 57 in the West Bank.

The report links the surge in casualties to ongoing conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel then launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which Palestinian authorities say has killed tens of thousands of people.

A senior U.N. official said the highest numbers of grave violations in 2025 were recorded in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia.

Settler groups under scrutiny

While Israel is already listed in the report’s “list of shame” annex for alleged violations, this year’s report for the first time highlights Israeli settler groups as potential candidates for 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.

He also expressed alarm over what he described as a “staggering rise” in attacks by Israeli settlers that resulted in grave violations against Palestinian children, adding that settler groups could be added to the blacklist if violations persist into 2026.

The report attributed 9,465 grave violations to Israeli forces and 326 to Israeli settlers. Grave violations include killing and maiming of children, sexual violence, and attacks on schools and hospitals.

Israel’s U.N. mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hamas remains listed

The report continues to include Hamas’ armed wing and affiliated groups on the blacklist for killing and maiming children and carrying out abductions. It attributes 2,806 violations to Palestinian armed groups.

Guterres also raised concern over the detention of Palestinian children by Israeli authorities, citing reports of severe physical abuse and poor detention conditions that “may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Being placed on the U.N. blacklist does not result in automatic sanctions but can carry significant diplomatic consequences and requires action plans aimed at improving compliance in order to be removed. -Reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Don Durfee and Matthew Lewis/Reuters