The United Nations includes Israel in a worldwide listing of countries that damage youngsters.
Israel has been informed that they will be added to the Secretary-General's annual report of countries harming children during armed conflicts, to be submitted to the UNSC next Friday. This news was shared by Dujarric.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were also mentioned as being included in the list, said a diplomatic insider.
Dujarric explained that a phone call was made to the Israeli UN mission on Friday. This call is usually made to nations recently added to the list. "It's a professional courtesy to let the countries know about the list and avoid any potential leaks," Dujarric said.
During the call, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan voiced his anger at the UN's decision. "The Israeli Defense Force is the most moral army in the world," Erdan stated. "It's the UN Secretary-General who is on the 'blacklist', promoting and encouraging terrorism from hatred against Israel. Shame on him!”
Dujarric found Erdan's leaking of the private call "unbelievable and unacceptable." "I've never seen anything like this in my 24 years of working for this organization," he commented.
The inclusion of Israel on the list happened after eight months of conflict in Gaza, resulting in more than 15,500 child casualties, reported the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Nations like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen have previously appeared on the 'blacklist'.
The report will be provided to the Security Council on June 14 and officially published on June 18. A debate about the report will be scheduled for June 26. The Security Council appoints the Secretary-General to create this report. Concerning the implications, Dujarric said it would depend on the member states to determine any actions.
Israel's relationship with the UN has seen a significant decline in recent years, with Israeli diplomats criticizing the world body's actions. Their issues with the UN have extended to organizations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the World Health Organization, UN Women, and the UN's Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese.
Throughout the war, 40 UN staffers have lost their lives in Gaza, which is the highest number of casualties in the UN's history.
Israel has consistently accused UNRWA of anti-Israelian incitement, a claim the organization has denied. In 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed for UNRWA to be dissolved, stating it should be unified with the main UN refugee agency.
Since the October 7 attack, Israeli media has focused on UNRWA and has increased coverage questioning its involvement in the war.
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The Middle East, being home to numerous countries, is once again a region of concern for the world, with Israel being included in the United Nations' list of countries that have caused harm to children during armed conflicts.
Despite being added to this list, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan argued that it is the UN Secretary-General who is promoting and encouraging terrorism, implying a broader issue between Israel and the international community, particularly the United Nations.
