Israeli Army Killed 54 Minors in West Bank in January 2025, B'Tselem Reports

The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem documented the deaths of 54 minors killed by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank in January 2025. The report also examined cases where soldiers prevented medical assistance to the wounded. B'Tselem identified 12 instances in 2025 where children and teenagers were shot and left without care for extended periods.

Rescue workers were blocked from reaching the victims, and all 12 later died.

All victims died from their injuries, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. B'Tselem stated that soldiers aimed weapons at children and teenagers, shooting them in the chest, back, or head rather than the legs. The organization said soldiers then prevented witnesses and relatives from providing aid.

Since October 7, 2023, 235 of more than 1,100 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank were minors, according to UN data. This figure matches the 251 minors killed during the Second Intifada from 2000 to 2005. The annual average of children killed rose from 13 per year between 2005 and 2021 to 87 per year since 2023.

B'Tselem attributed the increase to changes in law enforcement practices in the territory. B'Tselem described the situation as an assault on Palestinian existence in the West Bank that includes systematic violations of human rights, including the right to life.