00:00 The United Nations has included Israel on its global list of states and armed groups
00:16 accused of committing violations against children over the past year, a decision confirmed by
00:21 Israel's UN envoy Jilad Erdan.
00:25 The inclusion is part of an annual report on children and armed conflict, set to be
00:29 presented to the UN Security Council next Friday.
00:33 Expressing his indignation, Erdan described the decision as "shameful" and argued
00:39 that Israel's military is the "most moral army in the world," suggesting that the
00:44 UN's move would only benefit terrorists and reward Hamas.
00:49 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed these sentiments, claiming that the
00:53 UN had added itself to the black list of history by aligning with those who support Hamas.
00:59 Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Katz also criticized the decision, warning that it would
01:05 further strain the already tense relations between Israel and the United Nations.
01:09 Notably, Israel has been refusing to cooperate with the UN Relief and Works Agency, which
01:14 provides aid to Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
01:20 There have been allegations that Israel was previously excluded from the list due to political
01:25 pressure from Israeli officials.
01:27 The United Nations evaluates six grave violations as criteria for listing states, the killing
01:33 and maiming of children, the recruitment or use of children as soldiers, sexual violence
01:38 against children, the abduction of children, attacks against schools or hospitals, and
01:43 the denial of humanitarian access for children.
01:47 The Israel-run Health Ministry in Gaza says 36,731 people have since been killed by Israeli
01:53 bombardment and ground attacks.
01:56 Last month, the UN said at least 7,797 children had been killed during the war, based on data
02:03 relating to identified bodies provided by the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
02:08 Also last month, the UN revised down the proportion of reported fatalities that were women and
02:12 children from 69% to 52% of the total number of deaths.
02:16 Israel said the reduction showed the UN had relied on false data from Hamas.
02:22 The UN says it is now relying on figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, rather
02:26 than from the Hamas-run government media office.
02:29 The GMO meanwhile says Israeli attacks have killed more than 15,000 children.
02:34 This recent decision by the UN underscores the ongoing tensions and the complex dynamics
02:40 surrounding Israel's actions in the region, particularly concerning its interactions with
02:44 Palestinian territories.
02:47 For more UN videos visit: www.un.org/webcast
02:53 .
03:00 (upbeat music)
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