Guterres Warns Against Including Settlers on the UN Blacklist for Violations Against Children

SadaNews - The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has warned of the possibility of including groups of Israeli settlers on the UN blacklist of entities violating children's rights if serious violations against Palestinian children continue in the coming year, expressing his concern over the significant rise in such violations.

This came in the UN's annual report on "Children and Armed Conflict," which documented 38,558 serious violations against 24,174 children worldwide during the year 2025, the highest number since the monitoring mechanism was established in 1996.

The report indicated a 34% increase in the number of child fatalities compared to 2024, documenting the deaths of 6,266 children and the injury or mutilation of 14,224 others. The UN also verified the deaths of 2,668 children in the Gaza Strip and 57 children in the West Bank.

The report clarified that the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel were among the top areas with the highest levels of violations against children during 2025, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia.

Guterres pointed out that Israel is already on the UN's "shame list"; however, the current report highlights, for the first time, the potential for including groups of Israeli settlers in the future if violations continue at the same high rates.

The Secretary-General expressed "horror" at the scale of violations, particularly the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, in addition to the escalation of settler attacks, which he said resulted in serious violations against Palestinian children.

According to the report, 9,465 serious violations were attributed to Israeli forces, and 326 violations were attributed to Israeli settlers.

The violations recognized by the UN include the killing and maiming of children, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as other violations affecting children's rights in conflict areas.

Guterres also expressed concern over the situation of Palestinian children detained in Israel, noting reports of severe physical violence and deteriorating detention conditions, which may amount to inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.

The report comes after weeks of strained relations between the UN and Israel, following Israel's inclusion in a separate UN list concerning entities accused of committing sexual violence in conflict areas, prompting the Israeli Foreign Ministry to announce a cut in relations with Guterres.

The report confirmed that inclusion on the blacklist does not automatically impose sanctions, but it negatively affects the reputation of the listed entity and obliges it to enter into negotiations with the UN to develop an action plan leading to its removal from the list.