United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children. He makes the warning as the UN releases its annual report on Children and Armed Conflict, citing a sharp increase in abuses affecting Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.
The report records 38,558 “grave violations” worldwide in 2025, affecting 24,174 children. UN data describes the number of children killed or maimed as rising, with 14,224 children affected in that category and the figure increasing year-on-year. The UN says it has verified the killing of 2,668 Palestinian children in Gaza and 57 in the West Bank.
The report also continues to list armed groups responsible for violations. It describes continued inclusion of Hamas’ armed wing and affiliated factions for killing and maiming children and for abductions, and it attributes a substantial number of violations to Palestinian armed groups. The warning to potentially add settler groups signals possible new designations based on the report’s findings and UN verification.
