UN report cites Zionist ‘crimes against children’

NEW YORK: UN agencies in Israel and the Palestinian territories reported an alarming number of child victims in last year’s war in the Gaza Strip but were split on whether Israel should be put on a list of violators of children’s rights, a UN document said.
The 22-page confidential country report, obtained by Reuters on Friday, was prepared by UN agencies on the ground for submission to the UN special envoy for children and armed conflict as she readied a draft of the annual list.
The special envoy, Leila Zerrougui of Algeria sent the draft to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has final say on the list, UN sources have said.
More than 2,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in the conflict, while 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel were killed. The country report said some 540 children were reportedly killed, 371 of them 12 years old or younger.
UN diplomatic sources told Reuters that Israel has lobbied hard against its inclusion and that Ban was leaning against including Israel. Diplomats said US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power had urged Ban not to list Israel.
The draft report has strong language on alleged violations of children’s rights in the Gaza war.
It specified what it said were unlawful deaths and injuries of Palestinian children caused by Israeli forces, detention of Palestinian children and attacks on schools. It said more information was needed on the question of recruitment of children by Palestinian armed groups.