Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a United Nations International Commission of Inquiry has found in a new report released yesterday.
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry, established by the UN Human Rights Council, has been investigating the events in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces have committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, according to the Commission’s report.
The killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births amounts to genocide.
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza. 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,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission.
The ongoing genocide in Gaza was a moral outrage and a legal emergency, Pillay said in a media conference following the report’s release
“The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza,” said Pillay.
“The Commission also finds that Israel has failed to prevent and punish the commission of genocide, through failure to investigate genocidal acts and to prosecute alleged perpetrators.”
Genocidal acts
The report is based on all the Commission’s prior investigations, as well as factual and legal findings in relation to attacks in Gaza carried out by Israeli forces, and the conduct and statements of Israeli authorities from 7 October 2023 until 31 July 2025.
The Commission examined the Israeli military operations in Gaza, including that of:
- killing and seriously harming unprecedented numbers of Palestinians;
- imposing a total siege, including blocking humanitarian aid leading to starvation;
- systematically destroying the healthcare and education systems in Gaza;
- committing systematic acts of sexual and gender-based violence;
- directly targeting children;
- carrying out systematic and widespread attacks on religious and cultural sites; and
- disregarding the orders of the International Court of Justice.
Genocidal intent was the only reasonable inference that could be concluded from the conduct of Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces in Gaza, which included imposing starvation and inhumane conditions of life for Palestinians in Gaza, the Commission concluded.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, had incited the commission of genocide with other Israeli political and military leaders yet to be assessed to determine whether they constituted incitement to commit genocide.
“Israel must immediately end the genocide in Gaza and comply fully with the orders for provisional measures of the International Court of Justice,” said Pillay.
This included lifting the siege and ensuring unimpeded access of humanitarian aid at scale and unhindered access of all United Nations staff and all recognised international humanitarian agencies delivering and coordinating aid.
International community
The Commission recommended that other countries cease the transfer of arms and other equipment or other involvement in aiding and assisting the commission of genocide or incitement to commit genocide directly or indirectly.
“The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity,” said Pillay.
“Every day of inaction costs lives and erodes the credibility of the international community. All states are under a legal obligation to use all means that are reasonably available to them to stop the genocide in Gaza.”
Read the full report here.
