A United Nations commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
A new report states there are reasonable grounds to believe that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law have been committed since the onset of the war with Hamas in 2023:
- Killing members of a group
- Causing serious bodily and mental harm
- Deliberately inflicting conditions aimed at destroying the group
- Preventing births
The report cites statements from Israeli leaders and the patterns of conduct by Israeli forces as evidence of genocidal intent. In response, Israel's foreign ministry rejected the findings, calling them distorted and false.
The spokesperson for the Israeli government accused the commission's experts of acting as Hamas proxies and relying on misinformation.
Since the conflict escalated after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, Israeli military actions in Gaza have resulted in at least 64,905 deaths according to local health authorities. The situation has left much of the population displaced, with severe damage to infrastructure and widespread food shortages.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established by the UN Human Rights Council, aims to investigate violations of international law. Led by Navi Pillay, a prominent human rights expert, the commission's findings suggest that Israel's military actions and the government’s rhetoric may constitute genocide under the Genocide Convention, obligating other countries to intervene.
