What other countries are included on the list?

The United Nations made a significant update to its blacklist of countries that have attacked civilians and children during armed conflicts, with Israel being the latest addition. This decision comes in light of the recent events in the Gaza Strip, particularly in Rafah.

Israeli representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, expressed his shock and disgust at the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ decision. Erdan criticized Guterres for allegedly incentivizing Hamas terrorists to use children, stating that the Secretary-General should be the one on the blacklist.

Hours before Erdan’s statement, Israeli media reported that Guterres had informed the Israeli defense attaché in the US, General Hidai Zilberman, about the decision. This decision places the Israeli Army alongside notorious jihadist organizations like Islamic State and Boko Haram, as well as countries such as Afghanistan, Burma, and Somalia.

The Secretary-General’s Blacklist on Children and Armed Conflict is an annex to the annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict. It includes countries like Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Colombia, Iraq, Nigeria, Palestine, Somalia, Syria, Russia, and Yemen, among others.

Additionally, the list also features terrorist organizations and armed groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, Taliban, Hamas, and others. This update underscores the UN’s commitment to holding accountable those who commit grave violations against children in conflict zones.