A United Nations commission of inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
According to a newly released report, there are credible reasons to believe that Israel has carried out four of the five genocidal acts outlined under international law since the conflict with Hamas began in 2023. These include killing members of the group, inflicting severe physical and psychological harm, creating living conditions intended to bring about the group’s destruction, and obstructing births.
The report points to remarks by Israeli officials and the conduct of Israeli forces as evidence of genocidal intent.
In response, Israel’s foreign ministry firmly rejected the findings, calling the report “distorted and false.”
The Israeli government criticized the commission’s three experts, claiming they acted as “proxies for Hamas” and relied on what it described as discredited propaganda that had been recycled and disproven.
The foreign ministry further argued that, contrary to the report’s claims, Hamas was the group guilty of genocidal actions—pointing to the October 2023 attacks in which 1,200 Israelis were killed, women were raped, families were burned alive, and Hamas leaders publicly vowed to exterminate Jews.
An Israeli military representative also rejected the findings, insisting the allegations were groundless and stressing that no other army had taken such extensive measures to minimize civilian casualties under similar circumstances.
After the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023—which left roughly 1,200 dead and 251 taken hostage—the Israeli military launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza.
Since then, the Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, has reported at least 64,905 fatalities from Israeli strikes.
The conflict has devastated the territory: the vast majority of residents have been displaced multiple times, over 90% of housing stock has been damaged or destroyed, essential systems for health, water, and sanitation have collapsed, and UN-supported food security monitors have confirmed famine conditions in Gaza City.
In 2021, the UN Human Rights Council created the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory to examine alleged breaches of humanitarian and human rights law.
The commission consists of three experts: chair Navi Pillay, a South African who previously served as UN human rights chief and president of the tribunal on Rwanda’s genocide; Chris Sidoti, an Australian lawyer specializing in human rights; and Miloon Kothari, an Indian authority on housing and land rights.
The panel has earlier determined that Hamas and other Palestinian militants committed war crimes and serious violations of international law during the 7 October 2023 attacks, while also finding Israeli security forces responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
Its newest assessment, described as “the most forceful and authoritative UN-based conclusion so far” regarding the conflict, stops short of representing an official UN position.
The 72-page report contends that Israeli authorities and forces have carried out, and continue to carry out, four of the five forms of genocide set out in the 1948 Genocide Convention, specifically targeting Palestinians in Gaza.
Under the Genocide Convention, proving genocide requires not only evidence of prohibited acts but also clear intent to destroy a group, in whole or in part.
The UN commission argues that this intent is evident in the words and actions of Israeli leaders. It accuses President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of encouraging genocide, citing their public statements as incitement.
The panel concludes that the conduct of Israeli authorities and forces in Gaza leaves “genocidal intent” as the only logical explanation. It points to mass killings and severe injuries inflicted with heavy weaponry, deliberate attacks on schools, mosques, and cultural sites, and the blockade that has deprived civilians of food and other necessities.
Israeli leaders, however, maintain that military operations are justified acts of self-defence aimed at dismantling Hamas, rescuing hostages, and protecting Israel. They also stress that the Israel Defense Forces operate within international law and attempt to limit civilian casualties.
Yet, in an interview with the BBC, commission chair Navi Pillay highlighted remarks that suggest otherwise. Netanyahu’s vow of “mighty vengeance” against Gaza after the 7 October attacks, his reference to Gaza City as a “wicked city,” and his warning to residents to flee before Israeli strikes, all indicated that civilians were being treated as legitimate targets.
Other leaders’ statements reinforced this view: Gallant described Palestinians as “human animals,” while Herzog asserted that “an entire nation” bore responsibility for Hamas’s assault.
Pillay explained that the commission spent two years documenting and verifying events before concluding that these actions and declarations fit the legal framework of genocide, since they demonstrate intent as well as the acts themselves.
According to the commission, the conduct of Israel’s political and military leadership is directly attributable to the state itself. As such, Israel is held responsible not only for committing genocide, but also for failing to prevent it and for neglecting its duty to prosecute those responsible.
The report further stresses that every state party to the Genocide Convention has an urgent duty to act—using all available means—to stop and punish genocide. Failure to do so, it warns, risks making those countries complicit.
Navi Pillay explained that while the commission has not yet identified outside governments as complicit or co-conspirators, this line of inquiry remains active and could lead to such findings in the future.
In July, all three members of the panel stepped down. Pillay, aged 83, attributed her departure to health concerns, age, and other commitments, while fellow commissioner Chris Sidoti described the moment as an appropriate juncture to restructure the body.
Israel’s foreign ministry responded by urging that the vacant seats not be refilled, instead demanding that the commission be disbanded altogether.
Meanwhile, numerous international NGOs, Israeli rights groups, UN experts, and academics have also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
At the same time, the International Court of Justice is considering South Africa’s case against Israel, which alleges genocidal acts by its forces. Israel, for its part, insists the accusations are “wholly unfounded” and rooted in “biased and false claims.”
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