AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): These were the words of Justice S. Muralidhar, one of India's most distinguished jurists and former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, who presented a landmark report on Israeli military operations in Gaza in his capacity as Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
The report concludes that Israel deliberately and systematically targeted Palestinian children in Gaza. It states that the attacks were intended to undermine the existence and future of the Palestinian people.
Justice Muralidhar retired as Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court after a judicial career spanning more than four decades. In November 2025, he was appointed to head the UN Human Rights Council's Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
Under his leadership, the commission's report examined alleged violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as Israel.
Justice Muralidhar said one of the commission's primary objectives was to ensure that Palestinian children did not feel that the world had remained indifferent to their suffering.
He also said the commission found evidence suggesting that Israel was seeking to eliminate Palestinian organizations and alleged that sexual violence against Palestinian children in Israeli prisons and detention centers was systematic and state-directed.
As evidence, Justice Muralidhar noted that the commission shared its findings with Israel before publication and invited the government to respond. According to him, Israel did not provide a reply, which he said reinforced the commission's confidence in the accuracy of its findings.
The latest report focuses on violence and crimes committed against Palestinian children.
Justice Muralidhar explained that three major bodies of international law protect children during armed conflict: international human rights law, international humanitarian law—including the Geneva Conventions—and international criminal law. All three, he said, clearly establish that children are entitled to special protection and can never be considered legitimate military targets.
Despite these legal protections, he said the commission found evidence that Israeli forces deliberately targeted children, ambulances, hospitals, and schools during military operations in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of large numbers of women and children.
The report draws on testimony from victims, eyewitnesses, children, medical personnel, forensic evidence, electronic data, and journalists. It also includes accounts from doctors who treated patients in Gaza and witnessed the aftermath of attacks firsthand.
Justice Muralidhar said the commission included a military analyst specializing in weapons and military operations, as well as experts in gender issues, forensic science, and cybercrime, forming a multidisciplinary team of 12 specialists.
Addressing questions about whether Israel's perspective had been considered, Justice Muralidhar said much of the evidence came from Israeli soldiers' own social media posts.
"Israeli soldiers themselves recorded videos and uploaded them online," he said. "One soldier openly stated that he had killed a 16-year-old boy. He admitted it on camera, and anyone could watch it. The Israeli army, in effect, presented its own evidence to the world."
He further alleged that some Israeli social media posts called for the destruction of Gaza and advocated killing every child, claiming such statements reflected an intent to prevent future generations from surviving.
Justice Muralidhar also referred to public statements made by Israeli political figures, including remarks asserting that Gaza was "full of terrorists" and that children born there were terrorists from birth. He said these statements remain publicly accessible and have not been formally repudiated.
The UN Human Rights Council report, prepared under Justice Muralidhar's leadership, accuses Israel of committing grave violations against Palestinian children during the Gaza conflict.
According to the figures cited in the text, more than 71,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, the majority of them women and children. The text also alleges that Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, with Palestinian casualties continuing to be reported in ongoing military operations.
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