United Nations investigators have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, alleging that top officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have incited actions aimed at destroying Palestinians.
The findings came from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which has faced sharp criticism from Israel. According to commission chief Navi Pillay, “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur. The responsibility lies with the State of Israel.”
Israel immediately rejected the report, describing it as “distorted and false,” while its foreign ministry demanded the immediate dissolution of the commission.
The latest report was published nearly two years after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack inside Israel, which left 1,219 people dead, most of them civilians. In retaliation, Israel launched a campaign in Gaza that has killed almost 65,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. The UN considers those figures credible. Most residents of Gaza have been displaced at least once, with famine now declared in Gaza City as fighting intensifies.
The COI concluded that Israeli forces had committed four of the five genocidal acts listed in the 1948 Genocide Convention. These include mass killings, inflicting serious bodily and psychological harm, imposing conditions designed to destroy the population, and measures intended to prevent births.
Investigators also cited statements from Israeli leaders and the conduct of its forces as evidence that the actions were carried out with the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a group. The report singled out President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of incitement to genocide and failure to curb such rhetoric.
Pillay, a former South African judge who once led the Rwanda tribunal and served as UN human rights chief, said the responsibility for these crimes lies with Israel’s top leadership. She confirmed that the commission has been sharing evidence with the International Criminal Court, adding, “We’ve shared thousands of pieces of information with them.”
Presenting her final report, Pillay warned that silence from the international community amounts to complicity. “The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” she said.
Although the COI is not a legal body, its findings carry diplomatic weight and could be used as evidence in future court proceedings. Already, the International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Despite mounting global pressure, Israeli authorities continue to dismiss accusations of genocide.
