The United Nations has added Israel and Hamas to their “list of shame” for documented rights violations against children in armed conflict, as reported by The Times of Israel. This move marks the first time that Israel and Hamas have been included on this list, joining the ranks of other notorious groups such as Russia, the Islamic State, and al-Qaeda.
Israel, considered to be the first democratic country included on the list, has been accused of grave rights violations against children in previous reports on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, this is the first time Israel has been included in the annexe at the end of the report, known as the “list of shame.”
In response to the UN’s decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “delusional” and defended the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as the “most moral army in the world.” He criticized the UN for joining the supporters of Hamas murderers and stated that the decision would only aid terrorists.
Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, received the formal notification from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s chief of staff and emphasized that the UN’s decision was “immoral” and would only reward Hamas. He accused the secretary-general of rewarding terrorists and incentivizing them to use children for terror acts.
The inclusion of Israel and Hamas on the “list of shame” has sparked controversy and condemnation from Israeli officials, who maintain that the IDF upholds high moral standards in its operations.