UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children if attacks on Palestinian minors continue at current levels.
The warning came in the United Nations' latest Children and Armed Conflict report, which recorded a record 24,174 children affected by grave violations in 2025. The figure is the highest since monitoring began in 1996.
According to the report, 38,558 grave violations were verified worldwide last year. These included killings, injuries, sexual violence, abductions and attacks on schools and hospitals.
Guterres expressed particular concern about the situation in the Palestinian Territory and Israel, which the UN said was among the areas most affected by violations against children.
"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.
He also highlighted what he described as a dramatic increase in attacks by Israeli settlers.
"I am deeply alarmed at the staggering rise in attacks carried out by Israeli settlers resulting in grave violations against Palestinian children," he said.
The report documented 9,465 grave violations attributed to Israeli forces and 326 linked to Israeli settlers. Guterres said settler groups could be added to the UN blacklist if similar levels of violations are recorded in 2026.
The UN also verified the deaths of 2,668 Palestinian children in Gaza and 57 in the West Bank during 2025.
The report found that 14,224 children were killed or injured worldwide, including 6,266 deaths. The number of children killed rose by 34 per cent compared with the previous year.
A senior UN official said the highest numbers of violations were recorded in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar and Somalia.
Guterres also raised concerns about the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli detention, saying reports of physical violence and poor conditions "may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".
The report continues to list Hamas' armed wing and affiliated groups for the killing and injury of children, as well as abductions. The UN attributed 2,806 violations to Palestinian armed groups.
The publication of the report comes weeks after tensions between Israel and Guterres escalated following a separate UN decision to place Israel on a blacklist of parties suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict. Israel's foreign ministry responded by saying it would sever ties with the UN chief.
While inclusion on a UN blacklist does not automatically lead to sanctions, it can damage a group's international reputation and trigger efforts to negotiate measures aimed at removal from the list.
Armenia is looking to turn shared environmental challenges into opportunities for regional cooperation, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlig...
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It com...
In an interview with AnewZ’s Sabir Safarov, Houthi-aligned journalist Hussain al-Bukhaiti warns of possible attacks on Saudi Arabia’...
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
In an interview with AnewZ’s Sabir Safarov, Houthi-aligned journalist Hussain al-Bukhaiti warns of possible attacks on Saudi Arabia’s water and power infrastructure, dismisses concerns over global trade and acknowledges Iranian assistance in developing the group’s missiles.
Armenia is looking to turn shared environmental challenges into opportunities for regional cooperation, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighting the potential for stronger ties with neighbouring countries through biodiversity protection.
Student organisations, opposition groups and youth-led activists took to the streets in Patna and Mumbai on Friday (16 October), demanding the resignation of India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, amid a row over changes to voter lists.
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
From international tourism and major reconstruction projects to a film premiere and political developments, Garabagh’s transformation takes centre stage in the AnewZ Daily Brief for 16 October 2026.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment