Israeli forces killed 54 Palestinian children in the West Bank in 2025, according to a report by Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, which linked the deaths to an increasingly permissive open-fire policy and military conduct in the occupied territory. The report also pointed to what it described as a broader dehumanization of Palestinians and a climate of “public impunity” surrounding the killings, calling 2025 one of the deadliest years for Palestinian minors in the West Bank over the past two decades.
Policy, Not Mistakes, Says B'Tselem
“The widespread killings are not the result of isolated mistakes but of policy,” B’Tselem spokesperson Yair Dvir told Arab News. “This includes the authorization to shoot at Palestinians suspected of throwing stones even when they pose no danger to soldiers.” Dvir emphasized that Israel routinely invokes security arguments, labeling those killed as terrorists, but noted that 54 children were killed in a single year, including infants and very young children. “Many of these children were killed in their own homes, in their family’s car, on a football pitch, or while on their way to visit a family member. This is not about security,” he added.
Only Two Children Armed
According to B’Tselem, only two of the 54 children and teenagers killed were armed with firearms when they were shot. The organization said that at least 21 were not involved in clashes, while seven were killed in airstrikes. B’Tselem documented a sharp increase in Palestinian deaths in the West Bank since October 2023, with nearly a quarter of the more than 1,000 Palestinians killed during that period being children.
“We are seeing a growing number of incidents in which soldiers shoot and kill Palestinians who posed no threat to them,” Dvir said. “In many cases, the killings were captured on camera.” He also pointed to public statements by senior Israeli military officials as evidence of a shift in military conduct. “Not only does the system provide full backing for these killings, but the military commander responsible for the West Bank has publicly boasted that Israel is killing Palestinians in the West Bank at levels not seen since 1967,” he said.
Investigations and Delays in Medical Treatment
The report is based on investigations conducted by B’Tselem’s Palestinian field researchers across the West Bank. Researchers visited the scenes of incidents, collected eyewitness testimony, gathered video footage where available, and conducted detailed investigations into each case. The organization also raised concerns about delays in medical treatment for wounded minors. According to the report, soldiers delayed or prevented medical teams and residents from reaching injured children in nearly one-quarter of the documented cases.
One such case involved Mohammed Halak from Hebron. “Mohammed was a nine-year-old boy who was playing football with his friends when soldiers entering the village shot him from a hundred meters away, even though he posed no danger whatsoever,” Dvir said. “The soldiers also delayed his evacuation, causing a delay of more than 15 minutes before he reached the hospital.” B’Tselem said that Israeli forces have not provided explanations for restricting access to wounded children in such cases.
Lack of Accountability
The report also questions the effectiveness of accountability mechanisms surrounding the killings. “In none of the cases documented in the report has an indictment been filed against those responsible for the killings, including cases involving young children and infants,” Dvir said. While some incidents have reportedly been subject to internal military investigations, Dvir argued that such processes rarely lead to “meaningful” outcomes. The report also highlights Israel’s policy of withholding the bodies of Palestinians killed by its forces. As of June 2026, Israel was holding the bodies of 18 of the 54 children documented in the report.
