United Nations-appointed investigators have issued a damning report accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, directly blaming top political and military leaders for incitement and systematic violations of international law.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which monitors rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories, announced that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur.” Commission chair Navi Pillay, a former UN human rights chief and South African judge, emphasized: “The responsibility lies with the State of Israel.”
According to the report, since the war began in October 2023 following Hamas’s deadly cross-border assault, Israeli authorities have carried out “four of the five genocidal acts” defined in the 1948 Genocide Convention. These acts include “killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting life conditions designed to bring about physical destruction, and preventing births.”
The conflict, which erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack inside Israel, has claimed nearly 65,000 lives in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry figures that the UN regards as credible. Most of the territory’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, with the UN declaring famine in Gaza City as Israeli forces intensify their push.
Investigators concluded that public statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant indicated intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza. The report states these leaders “incited the commission of genocide and failed to face punishment for their incitement.”
While the commission cannot enforce legal rulings, it shares evidence with international courts. Pillay confirmed: “We’ve shared thousands of pieces of information with [the International Criminal Court].”
She further warned that silence from the global community amounted to complicity: “The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity.”
okay.ng reports that despite repeated accusations from civil society groups and UN experts, Israel has firmly rejected claims of genocide. However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January 2024 ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant months later.
In retaliation, the United States under President Donald Trump sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors involved in the warrants, freezing their assets and banning their entry into the US.
