India has raised concern about the repeated targeting of children during armed conflicts, demanding that those committing such crimes be held accountable.

Stressing that education is a right that should endure even in times of conflict, Indian Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Harish Parvathaneni said “education is a right whose fulfilment is among the most powerful contributions to lasting peace.”

He pointed out that “protection of children without accountability is incomplete.”

Under international humanitarian law, a deliberate attack on a school amounts to a war crime.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday it may never be known who was at fault for a deadly strike on a girls’ school in Iran on February ‌28, the opening day of the US-Israeli strikes on the country, that killed more than 120 students aged 6-13 and 26 teachers.

The US initially tried to blame the Iranian military for the bombing of the school in Minab in southern Iran. But an internal US military investigation showed American forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian drones targeted a dormitory and school at night in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic on May 22, while students were sleeping inside. The building partially collapsed, leaving 21 people dead, mainly teenage girls.

Kiev targeted a bus carrying 44 people, 28 of them children, in Russia’s Bryansk last week. Those on board were members of a Belarusian youth sports team. 

Following the attack Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of “hunting” children.

“India remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting children in armed conflict and to upholding their right to learn, to grow, and to realize their full potential,” Parvathaneni added.

The Indian permanent representative’s remarks came after the UN Secretary General released a report on ‘Children and armed conflict.’

The report noted that violations against children in armed conflicts reached “shocking levels” in 2025, and a record number of children were affected, a PTI report said.

It said in conflict scenarios, parties “failed to uphold or proactively undermined their obligations… and continued to commit grave violations with near-total impunity.”