UN Probe Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza War

Screening for malnutrition by a worker from the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA,in Gaza City.

Senior independent rights investigators appointed by the Human Rights Council alleged on Tuesday that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide, a charge flatly rejected by Tel Aviv.

In a new report, released amid intensifying Israeli military operations in Gaza City, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, urged Israel and all states to meet their obligations under international law “to end the genocide” and punish those responsible.

“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”

Israel's Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Danny Hanon, rejected the Commission's “cherry-picked” findings, saying the 70-plus page report “promotes a narrative serving Hamas and its supporters in attempting to delegitimize and demonize Israel. The report falsely accuses Israel of genocidal intent, an allegation it cannot substantiate.”

At a press conference in Geneva, Ms Pillay and Chris Sidoti—members of the Commission of Inquiry appointed by the Human Rights Council’s 47 member states—explained that their investigation, which began after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces “committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention.”

These include:

killing,

causing serious bodily or mental harm,

deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to destroy Palestinians, and

imposing measures intended to prevent births.

Pillay said responsibility for these crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the “highest echelons,” pointing to “explicit statements” denigrating Palestinians by civilian and military leaders.

The Commission also accused Israel of imposing starvation, inhumane conditions, and systematic destruction of healthcare and education facilities in Gaza, as well as sexual and gender-based violence. It argued that genocidal intent was the only reasonable inference from Israel’s operations.

The UN’s humanitarian office, OCHA, reported that nearly one million people remain in Gaza City under daily bombardment, confirmed famine, and severe restrictions on aid, following a displacement order imposed by Israeli forces.

Pillay urged the international community to act: “When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action amounts to complicity. All States are legally obliged to use all available means to stop the genocide in Gaza.”

In a related development, the Human Rights Council convened an urgent debate on Israel’s recent strike in Doha, Qatar, which killed six people, including five Hamas members. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation” of Qatari sovereignty, while UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo warned it threatened regional peace and undermined mediation efforts to end the Gaza war.