U.N. Security Council Report Sparks Outrage Amid Ongoing Israel-Hamas Conflict

An upcoming U.N. Security Council report will list both Israel and Hamas for actions violating children's rights. Israel reacted with outrage, while Palestinian representatives called it a step in the right direction. The report comes amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian issues in Gaza, including severe hunger and civilian casualties.

In an impending report to the U.N. Security Council, Secretary-General António Guterres plans to list both Israel and Hamas as entities violating the rights and protection of children.

Last year's report documented parties involved in the 'killing and maiming of children, rape, and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools, hospitals, and protected persons.' Guterres' office notified Israel's U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, that Israel would be included in the report presented next week, said U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.

Likewise, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will be named. Israel reacted furiously, disseminating a video of Erdan berating the head of Guterres' office over the phone. Erdan argued that the decision would embolden Hamas. The ongoing feud between Israel and the U.N. intensified with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemning the decision. Meanwhile, Palestinian U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour welcomed the report as a step in the right direction but lamented that it won't bring back the children lost to decades of conflict. The report casts a spotlight on the international criticism over Israel's actions in Gaza, where recent airstrikes have killed numerous civilians, and over 1 million Palestinians are at risk of starvation due to restrictions and a collapsing food system.