Israel Has Committed Genocide in Gaza, Says U.N. Commission of Inquiry

The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has determined that Israel “is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza.” A report published Tuesday stated that Israel met four of the five genocidal acts in Gaza laid out by the 1948 U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. These acts include “killing Palestinians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians, and imposing measures intended to prevent births,” according to the Commission. Israel has strongly rejected the report’s findings and called for the Commission to be abolished. “Israel categorically rejects this distorted and false report and calls for the immediate abolition of this Commission of Inquiry,” said the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, claiming that those who published the report are “Hamas proxies.” Daniel Meron, Israel’s representative to the U.N., also rejected the report, arguing it “relies solely on Hamas falsehoods” and “cherry-picked data.” “Israel remains committed to international law, and as stated many times, aims to dismantle Hamas, and invest many efforts and resources in minimizing harm to the civilian population, as well as in allowing and facilitating many humanitarian efforts,” said Meron. Read More: Israel’s Policies and Actions in Gaza ‘Meet Legal Definition of Genocide,’ Says Association of Scholars The U.N. Commission of Inquiry report concluded “on reasonable grounds that the Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces have committed and are continuing to commit” acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Commission also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of incitement of genocide. Netanyahu and Gallant currently have arrest warrants against them issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2024 for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Israel is also facing an ongoing case accusing the state of committing genocide, first submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by South Africa in December 2023. Israel has repeatedly denied that its actions in Gaza constitute genocide, citing its right to defend itself.  A statement from Netanyahu’s office called allegations of genocide “ridiculous” and a “blatant falsehood” during an address on Aug. 13. On Aug. 31, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) passed a resolution stating that Israel’s “policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide.” Citing “Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” within its findings, the resolution argued that Israel’s actions in response to the terrorist attack committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, have not only been directed against Hamas “but have also targeted the entire Gazan population.” A spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the resolution, calling it an “embarrassment to the legal profession and to any academic standard.” Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Tuesday that troops are expanding ground operations in Gaza City as part of a new phase of war approved in early August which has drawn international condemnation. The update from the IDF, shared via social media, was accompanied by a map of Gaza showing extensive military presence in the Strip. At a situational assessment in Gaza on Tuesday, IDF Chief Eyal Zamir said: “The maneuver in Gaza City is a significant step to carry out our highest moral and important duty—to return all the hostages home and to dismantle the military and governing capabilities of the Hamas terrorist organization.” The U.N. has said that almost one million Palestinians in Gaza City “are facing daily bombardment and compromised access to means of survival” following IDF displacement orders. Per the U.N., an estimated 82% of Gaza is now under Israeli military occupation or displacement orders. There are also mounting concerns over the malnutrition crisis in Gaza. Read More: World Leaders React as U.N.-Backed Report Confirms Famine in Gaza The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) concluded in a report published on Aug. 22 that famine is taking place in Gaza City, with the areas of Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis expected to reach the classification of famine by the end of September. The Israel-Hamas war started after Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, including 428 adults and 146 children that have died of starvation and malnutrition, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, the ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME. Data from the IDF suggests a Palestinian civilian death rate of 83%.