Human rights groups have lauded the United Nations’ decision to place Israel on a ‘List of Shame’ for countries failing to protect children in war zones. The UN informed Israel of its inclusion on Friday, sparking significant international reactions.
The UN’s decision comes in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian children and injuries to many more. The global community has expressed widespread outrage over Israel’s military operations in the region.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), two of the world’s leading rights organizations, have welcomed the UN’s move. Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, expressed that the decision was overdue. “It should not have taken 15,000 children killed in Gaza for Israel to be on this shameful list,” she tweeted.
HRW’s Louis Charbonneau echoed this sentiment, stating, “It’s a thoroughly justified, albeit long overdue, move by the Secretary-General.”
In a previous tweet, HRW highlighted the delay in Israel’s inclusion. “The UN has long omitted Israel from the list, which documents parties to armed conflict who commit grave violations against children,” HRW stated.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the UN, emphasized that the decision, while significant, would not undo the past. “It will not bring back tens of thousands of our children who were killed by Israel over decades and will not restore normal life for the children who were permanently disabled by its actions,” he said. Nevertheless, he regarded the decision as a crucial step towards addressing double standards and ending Israel’s impunity.
Conversely, Israel has reacted strongly against the UN’s decision. Israeli envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, condemned the decision, stating, “I am utterly shocked and disgusted by this shameful decision. The only one who is blacklisted today is the Secretary-General, whose decisions … are rewarding terrorists … Shame on him!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also criticized the UN on social media, claiming it had “added itself to the blacklist of history when it joined those who support the Hamas murderers.”
The United Nations Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict, set to be released on June 18, was partially leaked on Friday after the Israeli ambassador to the UN shared a recorded call from UN Chief of Staff Courtenay Rattray, informing him of Israel’s inclusion in the report.
UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric condemned the leak as a severe breach of protocol, stating, “This is shocking and unacceptable.”
The report, based on a well-established methodology, lists countries committing grave violations against children in armed conflict. This is the first time Israel has been included, generating strong reactions from Israeli leaders.
The UN Secretary-General emphasized that the report is a factual account of violations, not a political statement. “The Secretary-General has been very clear in speaking out since October 7 on issues of violations of international law, on issues of violation of human rights, which includes the condemning of the terror attacks by Hamas,” said Dujarric.
The report will be officially published on June 18, with an open debate in the Security Council scheduled for June 26. The consequences for the listed countries will be determined by Member States.
“We’ve been asked to produce a report. We produce the report; the consequences will be for others to take,” noted Dujarric. The UN blacklist has previously included countries such as Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, and groups like Al Qaeda.
