The Israeli human rights organization, B’tselem, released a new study, entitled “Unshielded Children” today, documenting the systematic killing of Palestinian children and teenagers in the West Bank. Over the course of two years and eight months, from 7 October 2023 to 7 June 2026, Israeli forces killed 235 Palestinian children and teenagers in the West Bank, with five more killed by settlers. The rate amounts to 7.5 per month. The study focused upon the 54 killed in 2025, with the story and documentation of each one placed on a map with links.
The report stated: “The unprecedented scale of killing of Palestinian children and teenagers by Israeli forces is the result of a reckless open-fire policy, expanded to be even more permissive than in the past, that is currently being implemented in the West Bank. Central Command Chief Avi Bluth publicly boasted that ‘we are killing like we haven’t killed since 1967.’ Bluth’s claim that '96% of those killed were involved in terrorism'—an allegation exposed as a brazen lie by documentation of the circumstances of death in B’Tselem’s list of Palestinian fatalities—also reflects the Israeli system’s routine identification of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces as ‘terrorists’ or ‘terror operatives,’ including civilians who were not members of an armed organization and posed no danger at the time they were killed. This identification creates, de facto, systemic impunity for killing.”
Prior to 2022, the rate of killing of such children and teenagers was one per month for the previous 17 years. Then the IDF changed their rules to permit “soldiers to use lethal fire against stone throwers [in IDF-speak, “launchers” of “projectiles” -ed.] in a departure from previous rules. The new regulations permitted use of lethal fire even at individuals fleeing after suspectedly throwing stones, who no longer posed a danger—in violation of international law.” During the next 21 months—that is, prior to Oct 7, 2023—the rate of killing more than tripled. This rise complemented an escalation in provocations against the al-Aqsa Mosque, in attacks on Palestinians in general, and in Netanyahu bringing the settlers’ leaders—Itamar ben-Gvir and Bezalal Smotrich—into his government alliance.
The report stated: “After 7 October 2023, the rules of engagement were further expanded, leading to another sharp rise in fatalities” in the West Bank—though it was dwarfed by the 21,000 children killed in Gaza. It noted: “This escalation was fueled by the desire for revenge and growing dehumanization of Palestinians in Israeli public discourse.” And the mass murder was aided by the lack of any restraints. It explained: “According to data from the human rights organization Yesh Din, since the start of the war in October 2023, no indictments are known to have been filed in cases involving killings in the West Bank.”
The report details the 54 cases from 2025, called “A bloody history of children and teenagers killed.” The heart-wrenching details are too much for this report. They are available on their [site]((https://www.btselem.org/video/20260629_unshielded_childhood_palestinian_children_and_teenagers_killed_by_israel_in_the_west_bank_in_2025) ) for readers who want to meet some of these youngsters.
