Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, released a report on Tuesday, concluding that Israel is committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by deliberately targeting Palestinian children.

The inquiry found that between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025, at least 20,179 children were killed and 44,143 injured in Gaza, representing approximately 30% of the total death toll.

The commission determined that this deliberate targeting, which continued even after the October 2025 ceasefire, establishes genocidal intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza.

The report cites evidence of Israeli security forces using precision weapons, including snipers and quadcopters, to shoot children in the head and upper body, as well as the destruction of critical infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and neonatal care units. Additionally, the commission documented war crimes in the West Bank, including the torture, sexual violence, and starvation of detained Palestinian children.

Beyond direct killings, the inquiry highlighted irreversible harm to Palestinian children’s health, education, and psychological development, describing the destruction of childhood as a systematic campaign eroding the foundations of Palestinian society.

The commission stated that targeting children is a key element establishing Israel’s intent to destroy the Palestinian group, noting that the proportion of child fatalities is higher than in previous Gaza conflicts (where it was ~24%).

The report identified specific Israeli military units responsible for these killings, including the Kfir Brigade, 162nd Division, 98th and 99th Divisions, and the Refa’im (Ghost) Unit.

Israel dismissed the report as a "libelous sham" and "defamatory advocacy report," asserting that it ignored Hamas tactics and that every child deserves protection.

This report builds on a September 2025 conclusion by the same commission that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, which also implicated senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Right-leaning millionaire lawyer and political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella holds a slim lead over leftist senator Iván Cepeda in Colombia's preliminary presidential runoff results, with 49.66% of the vote to Cepeda's 48.7%—a margin of approximately 250,000 votes.

The preliminary count, covering 99.99% of ballots, shows de la Espriella ahead, but the result is not yet official pending a slower, manual scrutiny process expected to take several days.

Outgoing President Gustavo Petro, who endorsed Cepeda, has alleged electoral irregularities and claimed that Israel rigged the election by compromising voting software, asserting that only the "State of Israel" could have altered server IP addresses to favor de la Espriella who is pro-Israel.

Petro has called for a full recount of the ballots and an audit of the electoral software, urging calm while refusing to recognize the outcome until the official count is certified. Cepeda's campaign is challenging results from 33,000 polling stations, though no recount has ever overturned a Colombian presidential election.

De la Espriella, nicknamed "El Tigre," has denied any wrongdoing and called for national unity, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump have congratulated him on his victory.

De la Espriella, 47, is a criminal defense attorney known for representing paramilitary leaders and high-profile clients, including figures linked to drug trafficking. He campaigns on a hardline security platform, promising to end peace talks with armed groups, build 10 mega-prisons, and boost oil and gas production.

In contrast, Cepeda, 63, is a close ally of Petro and vows to continue the outgoing president's "Total Peace" policy, which focuses on negotiations with armed groups, social reforms, and a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects.

The election marks a potential sharp rightward shift in Colombia, aligning with a broader regional trend of right-wing victories in Latin America.