RAMALLAH — Palestine welcomed the UN’s decision to add the Israeli army to a global list of offenders who have committed violations against children, commonly referred to as the “list of shame.”

“The Security Council must now adopt a resolution to immediately halt the ongoing aggression against our people and stop the acts of genocide being committed in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem,” Palestine's official news agency WAFA quoted Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh as saying in a statement.

He also emphasized the urgency of international intervention to prevent Israeli attacks on Gazans.

“The time has come to end the aggression and implement international legitimacy resolutions, including the recent decision by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to add Israel to the list of child rights violators and the International Court of Justice's rulings to stop Israeli aggression,” he said.

He described this move as “a step in the right direction to hold Israel accountable for its crimes” through international action, paving the way for the enforcement of international resolutions related to the Palestinian cause.

Earlier in the day, Israeli envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan said the UN secretary-general added the Israeli army to a global list of offenders who have violated children's rights.

He stated on X that he has received official notification of the secretary-general's decision to include the Israeli army on the “blacklist” of countries and organizations that harm children.

This is the first time the Israeli military has been included on this list, despite years of calls from international human rights organizations for such action.

The “list of shame” is appended by the UN secretary-general to his report on children in armed conflict, focusing on those involved in violations such as killing, maiming, recruiting, and sexually exploiting children.

The UN's decision to add the Israeli army to the "list of shame," which also includes terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda, Daesh/ISIS, and Boko Haram, will be in effect for four years.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last Oct. 7 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 36,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and over 83,500 others injured, according to local health authorities. — Agencies