UN commission: Israel committing genocide in Gaza, officials’ remarks ‘evidence of genocidal intent’

CAIRO – 17 September 2025: A new report by the United Nations’ commission of inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel has concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“The commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission.

“It (Israel) 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.”

After nearly two years of investigation, the commission found that Israeli forces and authorities carried out four of the five acts defined under the Genocide Convention, including mass killings, causing serious harm, and deliberately creating unlivable conditions.

“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,” Pillay said.

“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.”

The report cites evidence of genocidal intent through both actions and public statements by Israeli officials, naming top leaders including President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for incitement.

The commission stated that statements made by Israeli authorities constitute “direct evidence of genocidal intent.”

The commission called on Israel to immediately comply with the orders for provisional measures of the International Court of Justice and end the genocide.

The report comes less than a month after a UN-backed food security analysis has officially confirmed that famine is underway in Gaza City, marking the first such declaration since the onset of the Israeli war.

The analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that over 500,000 people are currently trapped in famine conditions, and projected that by the end of September, famine could spread across the entire enclave.

It further warned that by June 2026, more than 100,000 children under the age of five will be at risk of death due to acute malnutrition.

Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its military operations in Gaza, launching a ground invasion of the famine-stricken Gaza City, home to nearly half of the enclave’s 2.2 million residents, despite international condemnation.

Israeli forces have flattened buildings, killed scores of Palestinians, and ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate southward to a so-called "safe zone" in Al-Mawasi.

Last night, Israeli airstrikes hit Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi Specialized Children's Hospital in Gaza City.

In an effort to pressure civilians to leave, the Israeli army announced in late August that it would end tactical pauses in Gaza City, halting brief ceasefires that had previously allowed limited aid deliveries to the northern city.

Since the war started in October 2023, Israel has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians, including 2,497 humanitarian aid seekers, and injured over 165,000, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The ministry has also recorded 428 deaths due to malnutrition and starvation, including 146 children, as Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on the entry of food and humanitarian supplies.