The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, released a report amid escalating Israeli military operations in Gaza City, urging Israel and all countries to uphold their obligations under international law to end genocide and hold perpetrators accountable. The Commission concluded that Israel is responsible for committing genocide in Gaza, citing clear intent to destroy the Palestinian population through acts meeting the criteria of the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Danny Meron, rejected the findings, calling the report selective and accusing it of advancing a narrative favorable to Hamas while falsely alleging genocidal intent by Israel.
The Commission’s investigation, which began after Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, found that Israeli authorities and security forces committed four of the five genocidal acts defined under the Genocide Convention: killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting destructive living conditions, and imposing measures to prevent births. Chair Navi Pillay emphasized that responsibility rests with Israel’s highest authorities, citing explicit statements by civilian and military officials denigrating Palestinians.
The report also analyzed Israeli operations in Gaza, including the imposition of a total siege, blocking humanitarian aid, causing famine, and inflicting widespread destruction on healthcare, education, and civilian infrastructure. It highlighted systematic sexual and gender-based violence and the direct targeting of children, while noting Israel’s disregard for the International Court of Justice’s March 2024 order to ensure unhindered humanitarian assistance.
The Commission stressed that the international community cannot remain silent in the face of evidence indicating genocide, warning that inaction could amount to complicity. All states have a legal obligation to take all reasonable measures to stop the ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza.
In a related development, the UN Human Rights Council prioritized an urgent debate on Israel’s recent strike in Doha, Qatar, targeting Hamas’s political leadership and reportedly killing six people. The strike drew condemnation for violating Qatari sovereignty, with UN officials warning it threatens regional peace, undermines mediation efforts, and could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
