By Serife Cetin
NEW YORK (AA) - The UN has added the Israeli armed and security forces to "parties that commit grave violations affecting children in situations of armed conflict," according to a report.
Seen by Anadolu, the yet-to-be released report, which contains data for the year 2023, said: "In 2023, violence against children in armed conflict reached extreme levels, with a shocking 21 percent increase in grave violations."
Noting an increase by 35% in incidents leading to the death and injury of children compared to the previous year, the report said: "The United Nations verified 32,990 grave violations, of which 30,705 committed in 2023 and 2,285 were committed earlier but verified in 2023."
According to the report, in 2023, 5,301 children were killed, 6,348 children were injured, 8,655 children were recruited into armed groups, 5,205 children were denied access to humanitarian aid, 2,491 children were detained due to connections with armed groups, and 4,356 children were abducted.
- Israel included for first time
According to the report, in light of recent developments in Gaza, grave violations against children in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories have increased by 155%.
In this context, at least 8,009 grave violation cases were recorded. These violations affected 4,360 children, of whom 113 were Israelis and 4,247 were Palestinians.
The report says there were 7,837 violations against 4,247 Palestinian children in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It noted that these violations were perpetrated by the Israeli army and illegal Israeli settlers.
It further emphasizes that the Israeli army and security forces were responsible for 5,698 of these violations.
Saying that Israel has detained 906 Palestinian children, the report also indicates that the UN has information about children being subjected to ill-treatment and sexual abuse.
The report also notes that the Israeli army has obstructed children's access to humanitarian aid in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
Aside from the Israeli army and security forces, the armed wing of Hamas, Qassam Brigades, and Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, were included in the list.
The report stated that 23,000 grave violations are pending confirmation due to the situation in Gaza in the last quarter of 2023.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated in the report, "I am shocked by the unprecedented number of children killed and maimed by the Israeli army and security forces in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem."
- Major areas of violations
The report stated that the places where violations against children are most intense are Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan.
It was reported that there were 3,764 grave violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2,799 in Myanmar, 2,283 in Somalia, 1,995 in Nigeria, and 1,721 in Sudan.
The report also announced that Russian security forces are still on the list due to violations in Ukraine, with 938 grave violation cases recorded in Ukraine.
Highlighting that non-state actors are responsible for 50% of grave violations, with government forces playing the biggest role in the deaths and injuries of children, the report further mentioned that male children are recruited, killed, and injured in armed groups at higher rates, while female children are subjected to sexual violence at higher rates.
*Merve Aydogan contributed to this story