The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem reported Monday that Israeli forces killed 54 Palestinian children by live fire in the West Bank in 2025 — the highest annual child death toll in the territory since 1967. The group said that nearly one in four Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since October 2023 has been a child, and noted that no indictments have been filed over these killings.
**B'Tselem report: child fatalities in West Bank at 58-year high**
The Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem issued a report on Monday stating that 54 Palestinian children were shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank during 2025 — the highest annual child death toll in the territory since the occupation began in 1967. The figure is based on the organization's own documentation.
According to B'Tselem's data, nearly one in four Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, has been a minor — a proportion the group describes as the highest since the occupation began. It added that despite the death toll, no indictments have been filed in connection with any of these killings since October 2023, and that no one has been held accountable.
The report comes amid broader international criticism of Israel's conduct in the West Bank. The Zioneer has previously reported on UN commission findings accusing Israeli authorities of involvement in settler attacks and of deliberately targeting children in Gaza — accusations Israel has rejected as biased and politically motivated. B'Tselem is an Israeli NGO often critical of government policy.
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