Falcon powers – Israel announced on Friday that its army has been officially added to the United Nations’ list of parties that commit violations against children in conflict zones, known in the media as the “List of Shame” or the “Black List”.
This is the first time the Israeli army has been included in this list, despite repeated calls for this step by international human rights organizations in recent years.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that “Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, received an official notification from the UN Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) regarding his decision to include the Israeli army in the Secretary-General’s report on children in armed conflict, as a party to the conflict that has committed violations against children and failed to protect them”.
Erdan claimed that Guterres “encourages terrorism and hatred of Israel” by making this decision, according to the same statement.
He also alleged, according to a statement by the Israeli Foreign Ministry: “Shame on him! The Secretary-General’s decisions only give hope to terrorists to stay, and encourage them to use children in terrorism and prolong the war.”
For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on the United Nations, claiming that with this decision, it has placed itself on the “black list of history” by “joining the supporters of Hamas”.
Netanyahu also claimed in a post on the “X” platform that “the Israeli army is the most moral in the world”.
The “List of Shame” is a list attached by the UN Secretary-General as an annex to his report on children in armed conflict, and it primarily focuses on those involved in violations against children in conflict zones, including killing them, maiming them, recruiting them and sexually exploiting them.
According to the Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth”, this list currently includes the Russian army and terrorist organizations such as “Al-Qaeda”, “ISIS” and “Boko Haram”.
Since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has killed and injured more than 120,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, while its military operations on the Strip have left about 10,000 missing and massive destruction, and famine that claimed the lives of dozens of people.
Israel continues this war, ignoring a UN Security Council resolution calling on it to cease hostilities immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to stop its offensive on Rafah and take immediate measures to prevent “acts of genocide” and “improve the humanitarian situation” in Gaza.
In recent years, human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have criticized the United Nations for what they consider its “deliberate disregard for Israel’s continued inclusion on the list of shame,” arguing that “Israel’s continued exemption from the list severely damages Palestinian children.”
The UN resolution to add Israel to the “list of shame” will be in effect for 4 years.
