United Nations (UN) investigators today accused Israel of committing “ genocide ” in Gaza, claiming that the actions of the Israeli authorities are aimed at the destruction of the Palestinian population.
The UN’s independent international commission of inquiry (COI) released its findings on Tuesday, holding the Israeli prime minister and other senior officials responsible for inciting and perpetuating the ongoing military campaign. The commission’s head, Navi Pillay, said that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and continues to occur” and held the state of Israel responsible.
Israel immediately rejected the report, with the Foreign Ministry calling it “distorted and dishonest” and demanding the immediate dissolution of the COI. The commission, which does not officially represent the UN, has come under heavy criticism from Israeli officials but continues to investigate alleged human rights abuses in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Its latest report comes almost two years after the start of the Gaza war, following a Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
In response, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in nearly 65,000 casualties, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, which the UN considers reliable. Most Gazans have been forced to move at least once, continuing the mass exodus as Israel intensifies its offensive to control Gaza, a region currently experiencing an unspeakable famine, declared by the UN.
The COI found that Israeli forces and authorities committed “four of the five acts of genocide” as defined in the 1948 Genocide Convention. These include murder, causing serious physical or mental harm, intentionally inflicting conditions of life calculated to destroy a group, and measures intended to prevent births. The investigators noted that official statements and conduct by Israeli forces indicate that these acts were committed with the intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza as a distinct ethnic group.
The report specifically accuses President Yitzhak Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant of inciting genocide and failing to act on that incitement. Pillay stressed that responsibility lies with Israel's top leadership and noted that the commission has provided extensive evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible legal action.
Pillay warned that the international community cannot remain passive in the face of what the commission describes as a genocidal campaign, saying inaction could be considered complicity. NGOs and independent UN experts have repeatedly accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, although the UN has generally not used the term officially. Previous calls by UN officials have urged decisive action to prevent genocide, and the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel in January 2024 to prevent and punish public incitement to genocide.
The ICC has also issued international arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. In response, the US, under President Donald Trump, imposed sanctions on two ICC judges and two prosecutors, banning them from entering the country and freezing their assets, reflecting ongoing international tensions over accountability in the conflict.
