UN inquiry commission highlights acts committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.
The United Nations has reported that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, according to findings from a commission of inquiry established by the organization. The panel’s new report indicates reasonable grounds to conclude that four out of the five genocidal acts outlined under international law have occurred since the outbreak of conflict between Israeli forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023.
Among the acts identified were the killing of group members, causing serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions aimed at destroying the group, and preventing births. The report references statements from Israeli civilian and military leaders, alongside a pattern of conduct by Israeli forces, to assert that these actions were executed with the intent to destroy Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a collective.
Navi Pillay, the chairperson of the panel, emphasized the clear intention on Israel’s part to annihilate the Palestinian population in Gaza through actions that align with the criteria specified in the Genocide Convention. The UN panel specifically named Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Yoav Gallant, who served as defence minister during 2022 to 2024, as individuals who incited the commission of genocide. Furthermore, it stated that Israeli authorities failed to take appropriate measures to hold these leaders accountable for their incitement.
The commission has urged UN member nations to halt the export of weapons and other materials to Israel that could potentially facilitate genocidal acts. Additionally, it called for measures to ensure that individuals and companies within their jurisdictions do not contribute to the commission of genocide, whether directly or indirectly.
In response, Israel’s foreign ministry has dismissed the report, labeling it as distorted and false. The ministry demanded the immediate dissolution of the commission, asserting that the findings are based on what it characterizes as Hamas’ fabrications, which have been perpetuated by others. The Israeli government argued that the report was authored by three individuals whom it accuses of being Hamas proxies, claiming these individuals hold openly antisemitic views condemned worldwide.
Since the onset of the military offensive in Gaza in October 2023, which followed Hamas’ incursion into southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of hostages, Israel has conducted extensive air and ground strikes in the region. This ongoing conflict has led to a staggering death toll, exceeding 62,600 individuals in Gaza alone.
In August, the UN had already declared a famine in northern Gaza, with warnings that it could extend to other regions in the coming weeks. While ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since July 6, previous efforts to establish a temporary ceasefire that had been in place since January have faltered due to disagreements between both parties.
Contrary to the UN’s claims, Israel maintains that Hamas is the true perpetrator of genocide, citing the deaths and atrocities committed against Israelis. The Israeli foreign ministry’s statement also noted the recent resignations of the report’s authors, suggesting they should not be replaced.
