The United Nations’ upcoming annual report on children affected by conflict zones is drawing scrutiny even before its official release in June. An early draft obtained by Fox News Digital raises alarms, particularly due to its omission of numerous Israeli victims amid ongoing conflicts, while also directing accusations towards the Jewish state.
Within the report, particularly in segments discussing Israeli and Palestinian children, the U.N. presents a mix of verified and unverified data. While acknowledging the presence of unverified information, the report fails to disclose who is responsible for validating the remaining figures, casting doubt on its overall accuracy.
Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon expressed his concerns, stating, “We will not cooperate with a report that serves as a platform for baseless slander against Israel,” in a statement shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.
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The report alleges that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) kidnapped a Palestinian girl, claiming verification of the incident without providing details on the verification process or the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction.
Among its more contentious claims, the report accuses IDF personnel of employing 27 Palestinian children as human shields in both the West Bank and Gaza. Despite asserting that these incidents have been verified, the report does not disclose the source of this verification. Notably, the practice of using human shields is widely attributed to Hamas, not the IDF.
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The draft notes, “There are reports of the use of human shields by Hamas’ Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip.”
Furthermore, the U.N. appears to attribute tactics similar to those of Hamas to Israel in the report—including the use of schools and hospitals for military purposes. Both Israel and the U.S. have confirmed that Hamas has misused hospitals in Gaza for military operations.
In November 2023, shortly after the onset of hostilities, IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus shared a video tour of al-Shifa Hospital revealing caches of weapons, Hamas paraphernalia, and ammunition found within the premises.
Israel is criticized in the report for allegedly denying Palestinians humanitarian aid, yet it neglects to mention incidents of Hamas and Palestinian armed groups looting aid trucks. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that, as of November 2024, 97 out of 109 aid trucks sent from Israel to Gaza were “violently looted.”
What remains notably absent from the report is significant. While it acknowledges the deaths of two Israeli boys held captive in Gaza, it omits naming Kfir and Ariel Bibas and fails to mention their captors as responsible for their deaths. Additionally, the draft reports no mention of the 12 Druze children who were killed by Hezbollah rocket fire while playing soccer in northern Israel.
Ambassador Danon stated, “The secretary-general once again chooses to blatantly ignore the violence and harm done to Israeli children. Based on this report, Israeli lives do not matter and are not worthy of attention. Israel will not let diplomatic terrorism prevail,” during his comments to Fox News Digital.
