An independent United Nations commission has, for the first time, accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, releasing what it described as the most authoritative finding yet on the conflict.
The 72-page report, published on Tuesday by the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, concluded that Israel has carried out four acts that constitute genocide since October 7, 2023.
The inquiry also found that the country’s top political leaders have incited genocidal actions.
The documented acts include mass killings of Palestinians, the infliction of serious physical and psychological harm, the deliberate creation of living conditions designed to bring about the destruction of the population, and the imposition of measures aimed at preventing births within the group.
According to figures released by Gaza’s health ministry, nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel last October.
While the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and fighters, it maintains that the majority of the dead are women and children.
Israel has firmly rejected the accusations, maintaining that its campaign in Gaza is a war of self-defense conducted within the boundaries of international law. The Israeli government has dismissed the UN report as biased, reiterating long-standing claims that the Human Rights Council unfairly targets the country.
The findings come as Israel intensifies its ground operations in Gaza City after weeks of heavy bombardments, despite mounting global criticism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that the country faces growing international isolation as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Accusations of genocide have been multiplying worldwide. South Africa initiated a landmark case at the International Court of Justice in December 2023, arguing that Israel’s actions demonstrated an intent to destroy the Palestinian population. Earlier this year, the International Association of Genocide Scholars also declared that Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounted to genocide.
In recent months, prominent Israeli human rights organizations have echoed the same charge, marking the first time such claims have come from within the country.
Political voices in the United States are also raising concerns. A number of lawmakers have argued that Israel’s strategy amounts to ethnic cleansing and warned that US support could make Washington complicit in war crimes.
The latest UN commission’s report marks a significant escalation in the international scrutiny facing Israel, underscoring the growing divide between the country’s insistence on self-defense and mounting accusations of systematic atrocities against the Palestinian people.
