UN adds Israeli military to list for violations against children

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has added Israel's military to a global list of offenders for committing violations against children in 2023, said Israel's UN envoy Gilad Erdan, describing the decision as "shameful".

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Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will also be listed, said a diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mr Erdan said he was officially notified of the decision on June 7.

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

It covers six violations - killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, recruitment and use of children, denial of aid access and attacks on schools and hospitals. It was not immediately clear what violations Israel, Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad had been listed for.

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the decision "will have consequences for Israel's relations with the UN".

Israel has long had a contentious relationship with the UN that has only worsened during the IsraelHamas war in the Gaza Strip.

The UN said in May that at least 7,797 children had been killed in Hamas-ruled Gaza during the eight-month-long war, citing data on identified bodies from Gaza's Ministry of Health, which the UN considers reliable.

The Gaza government media office says in total some 15,500 children have been killed.