In conversation with Chris Sidoti, member of Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel
The webinar In Conversation with Chris Sidoti explored the findings of the June 2026 report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, concerning violations and crimes against and affecting Palestinian children since 7 October 2023.
Hosted by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights in collaboration with the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC) and the Faculty of Law's Public International Law Research Group, the webinar examined the report's findings concerning the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, and war crimes in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The discussion was chaired by Diane Marie Amann, Departmental Lecturer in Public International Law, University of Oxford Faculty of Law, with comments from Professor Ann Skelton, Professor Helen Duffy, and Dana Abu-Koash.
Key themes included the deliberate targeting of children, child-based persecution as crime against humanity, and the continued targeting and killing of children following the announcement of the October 2025 ceasefire. The conversation also explored the importance of recognising children as independent rights holders entitled to special protection, including their rights to life, survival and development, and considered the long-term physical and psychological consequences of violence, displacement and occupation.
The event further addressed the legal, institutional and ethical questions raised by the report, particularly the role of international and domestic mechanisms in securing accountability, access to justice and effective remedies for children and their families. Particular attention was given to the evidentiary significance of the Commission's findings for proceedings before the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, as well as the responsibilities of third states, the UN Security Council and national courts. The challenges faced by humanitarian organisations operating in the occupied Palestinian territory were also highlighted, including restrictions on medical access and attacks on emergency personnel. Participants asked how the Commission's findings could support national prosecutions through the exercise of universal jurisdiction, whether there was a potential role for Interpol, and how criticism of the Commission’s work related to broader challenges facing international accountability mechanisms.
This discussion emphasised the importance of documenting violations, preserving evidence and pursuing accountability, both to address past harms and to create conditions for Palestinian children's recovery and future development.
Watch the recording of the event below: