UN Accuses Israel of Committing Genocide in Gaza

United Nations investigators have accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, asserting that the actions of Israeli authorities aim to destroy the Palestinian population. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) released its findings on Tuesday, holding Israel’s prime minister and other senior officials responsible for incitement and the ongoing campaign. Navi Pillay, the commission’s head, declared that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur” and placed responsibility squarely on the State of Israel.

Israel swiftly rejected the report, with the foreign ministry describing it as “distorted and false” and calling for the immediate dissolution of the COI. The commission, which does not formally represent the UN, has faced strong criticism from Israeli officials but continues to investigate alleged rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Its latest report comes nearly two years after the outbreak of war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack inside Israel, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli official figures.

In retaliation, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in nearly 65,000 deaths, predominantly civilians, according to data from Gaza’s health ministry, which the UN considers reliable. The majority of Gazans have been displaced at least once, and further mass displacement is ongoing as Israel intensifies its offensive to seize control of Gaza City, a region currently experiencing a full-blown famine as declared by the UN.

The COI found that Israeli forces and authorities have committed “four of the five genocidal acts” defined under the 1948 Genocide Convention. These include killing members of the group, inflicting serious physical or mental harm, deliberately imposing life conditions intended to destroy the group, and measures aimed at preventing births. The investigators noted that official statements and the conduct of Israeli forces indicate that these actions were carried out with the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a distinct group.

The report specifically implicated President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, stating that they had incited genocide and that authorities had failed to act against this incitement. Pillay emphasized that responsibility lies with Israel’s highest leadership, and highlighted that the commission has shared extensive evidence with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for potential legal proceedings.

Pillay warned that the international community cannot remain passive in the face of what the commission described as a genocidal campaign, noting that inaction could amount to complicity. NGOs and independent UN experts have repeatedly accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, though the UN as a whole has not formally applied that designation. Previous calls by UN officials have urged decisive action to prevent genocide, and the International Court of Justice 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, blocking their entry to the United States and freezing their assets, reflecting ongoing international tensions over accountability in the conflict.