UN calls out Israel for violations against children

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has added Israel's military to a global list of offenders who have committed violations against children, a move Israel described as "shameful."

Israel's UN envoy Gilad Erdan said he was officially notified of the decision on Friday, while Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the decision would impact the country's relations with the UN.

The global list is included in a report on children and armed conflict that is due to be submitted to the UN Security Council on June 14.

Guterres' annual report to the 15-member Security Council on children and armed conflict covers the killing, maiming, sexual abuse, abduction or recruitment of children, denial of aid access and targeting of schools and hospitals.

It was not immediately clear what violations Israel's military had been accused of committing.

The list is split into two: parties that have put in place measures to protect children and parties that have not. Erdan said he was told Israel had been included on the list of parties that had not put in place adequate measures to protect children.

The report is compiled by Virginia Gamba, Guterres' special representative for children and armed conflict. The list attached to the report aims to shame parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children.

Israel is retaliating against Hamas, which rules Gaza, over an October 7 attack by its fighters.

More than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel launched an air, ground and sea assault on the blockaded Palestinian territory, killing more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.