New research by Save the Children (StC) reveals that more than 12,000 children were killed or injured by explosives between 2020 and 2025. These incidents involved landmines and explosive remnants of war, with children making up nearly half of all civilian casualties during this time. The report highlights a growing concern: the use of drones and artificial intelligence (AI) in warfare is introducing new and dangerous threats. Air-launched explosives, such as those from attack drones, were responsible for about two-thirds of civilian harm incidents globally last year. In Ukraine, drone attacks on schools increased by 358% in 2024, while in Sudan, drone attacks accounted for the majority of child casualties in the first months of this year. One such case involved Khaleel, a 10-year-old boy from Gaza, who was playing football near a school when the ball rolled into an area containing an explosive remnant of war. When he went to retrieve it, an explosion caused severe injuries to his face, eyes, and ear. Khaleel now suffers from vision loss, hearing problems, and struggles to keep up in school. His mother, Mona, described the moment she found him covered in blood and unable to open his eyes as one of the most painful of her life. Both names have been changed for their safety. StC described Gaza as an example of a new phase in modern warfare, where drone surveillance and AI-assisted targeting are being used extensively in densely populated areas. AI has significantly changed how wars are fought, allowing for faster target identification and decision-making. This raises serious ethical concerns, especially when civilians, including children, are in the line of fire. The use of AI in warfare also complicates how decisions to use force are made, particularly in situations involving non-combatants. The UN’s top human rights body recently stated that they have found “reasonable grounds” to believe the US committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran, including one on a school in Minab that killed at least 177 civilians. US officials confirmed that AI was used in the operation to process intelligence and assist in identifying targets. While the US Department of Defense is investigating the incidents, the US has denied committing war crimes. A White House spokesperson stated that the Iranian regime is the only party responsible for war crimes in the conflict. During a visit to Imperial College London’s I-HUB innovation centre, Harry, the Duke of Sussex, expressed his commitment to supporting children injured in conflict. He emphasized that children should not be exposed to conflict and should not be losing limbs to explosions. The university hosts the Centre for Paediatric Blast Injury Studies, which has developed advanced prosthetic technology and long-term rehabilitation techniques for children who have suffered blast injuries. According to Unicef, monthly child casualties in Ukraine have reached a four-year high, while numbers have also surged in Sudan in recent months. In June, an independent UN inquiry found that Israel’s ongoing attacks on children in Gaza, even after a truce was declared, could constitute genocide. The report described the Israeli military operations as causing “unprecedented death, injury, and trauma” to Palestinian children. Israel has denied any allegations of war crimes inside Gaza. Claire Sanford, Conflict and Humanitarian Director at Save the Children UK, stressed that governments must ensure that laws protecting children keep pace with the evolving nature of warfare. She urged that children’s rights and safety remain central in the development and use of emerging technologies.