A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on 16 September that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited such acts.
Israel dismissed the findings as “scandalous” and politically driven.
The commission’s chair, Navi Pillay, a former International Criminal Court judge, said genocide was taking place in Gaza.
She argued that Israel’s leadership had orchestrated a campaign with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian population.
The report alleged four genocidal acts had been carried out: mass killings, causing severe harm, imposing destructive living conditions, and preventing births.
It cited evidence including interviews, satellite imagery, medical testimony, and verified documents.
Among the incidents listed was the destruction of a fertility clinic.
The commission said this, along with aid restrictions and large-scale civilian deaths, demonstrated systematic actions against the Palestinian population in Gaza.
Israeli ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, strongly rejected the findings.
He described the report as a “libellous rant” prepared by “Hamas proxies”. Israel declined to cooperate with the inquiry, maintaining that it operated under a biased mandate.
Although the commission operates independently, its 72-page analysis represents the most forceful UN-linked legal assessment yet on Gaza.
The UN itself has not formally used the term genocide, but rights groups and some governments are urging it to do so.
Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
It maintains that its military actions are acts of self-defence following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
The subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 64,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Global food monitors have warned that famine conditions exist in parts of the territory.
The inquiry also pointed to statements made by senior Israeli leaders, including President Isaac Herzog and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, as evidence of intent.
It cited a November 2023 letter from Mr Netanyahu to Israeli soldiers, in which he compared operations in Gaza to a “holy war of total annihilation” described in the Hebrew Bible.
Ms Pillay, who led the UN tribunal for Rwanda, drew parallels between the events in Gaza and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
She said that dehumanising rhetoric, which labels victims as animals, was consistent with genocidal practices.
While the ICJ has previously referred to Israeli leaders’ statements when assessing provisional measures, it has not specifically named Mr Netanyahu.
The commission’s findings may add pressure on states and international bodies to reconsider their stance on Israel’s Gaza campaign.
Ms Pillay, set to retire in November, expressed hope that the report would shift states’ perceptions of the conflict.
“The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity,” said Pillay.
“Every day of inaction costs lives and erodes the credibility of the international community. All States are under a legal obligation to use all means that are reasonably available to them to stop the genocide in Gaza,” she added.
Global recognition of Palestinian statehood
The crisis coincides with renewed moves to recognise Palestinian statehood.
France, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada are preparing to voice support at the United Nations summit in New York on 22 September.
Belgium announced on 2 September that it will formally recognise Palestine at the General Assembly.
Over 140 of 193 UN member states already extend recognition.
Singapore’s Minister Shanmugam cautions against immediate recognition of Palestine, citing potential harm to Palestinians
Singapore, alongside Japan, South Korea, and the United States, has not recognised Palestine.
Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on 2 Sept has cautioned that immediate recognition of Palestine may harm, rather than help, the Palestinian cause.
He argued that recognition without a viable government, stable population, and functioning institutions would not change “facts on the ground.”
Shanmugam stressed that strengthening the Palestinian Authority is crucial before recognition can be considered meaningful.
Singapore acceded to the Genocide Convention with reservations about the ICJ’s jurisdiction, requiring its consent for disputes.
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