A UN commission of inquiry chaired by former Indian judge Srinivasan Muralidhar has found that Israel killed at least 20,179 Palestinian children during two years of war in Gaza. The 94-page report, released on June 23, covers the period from October 2023 to October 2025.

The report documents over 44,000 children injured and an estimated 58,000 orphaned. It outlines a pattern of sniper and drone strikes targeting children, a blockade of humanitarian aid, and systematic destruction of maternity and neonatal facilities.

Muralidhar, who joined the commission in November 2024, previously served as a judge in India's Delhi High Court. He was controversially transferred in the middle of the night in 2020 after ruling against the government in riot-related cases.

The commission recommends that UN member states halt arms transfers to Israel and arrest Israeli officials wanted by the ICC. Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected the report as a "libellous sham."

Muralidhar stated that Palestinian children were deliberately targeted and dismissed Israel's claim that Hamas used children as human shields as a "myth." He emphasized that accountability extends to any state or company whose trade sustains the war.

The report creates an awkward position for India, which has become Israel's largest arms buyer under Prime Minister Modi. The Adani Group, led by a Modi ally, manufactures drones for Israel. Muralidhar noted that conflict liability falls on any country or company involved.

Source: www.aljazeera.com