Tensions between Israel and the international community escalated once again on Tuesday, as United Nations investigators accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
The claim, directed at top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes amid nearly two years of conflict following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks inside Israel.
The Findings of the UN Commission
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which operates independently of the UN itself, stated that genocide is occurring and continuing in Gaza.
Commission chief Navi Pillay told AFP, “The responsibility lies with the State of Israel.”
The report concluded that Israeli authorities have committed four of the five acts defined as genocidal under the 1948 Genocide Convention, including killing, causing serious harm, creating life-threatening conditions, and imposing measures to prevent births.
Investigators said statements from Israeli officials and patterns of military conduct indicate these acts were carried out with the intent to destroy Palestinians as a group.
Israel Rejects the Report
Israel immediately rejected the COI’s conclusions.
Its foreign ministry described the report as “distorted and false” and demanded the Commission of Inquiry be abolished.
In a statement on X, the ministry said, “Israel categorically rejects this distorted and false report and calls for the immediate abolition of this Commission of Inquiry.”
The Human Toll in Gaza
The conflict has left a devastating human impact.
Hamas’s attacks in 2023 killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians.
Israel’s retaliatory strikes have claimed nearly 65,000 lives in Gaza, again largely civilians, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures that the UN considers reliable.
Most Gazans have been displaced at least once, and mass displacement continues as Israel moves to seize control of Gaza City, where the UN has declared a full-blown famine.
Responsibility at the Highest Levels
The COI report directly names Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as having “incited the commission of genocide,” noting that authorities have failed to punish this incitement.
Pillay, 83, a former South African judge and UN human rights chief, emphasized that “the responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons.”
Cooperation with International Courts
While the commission itself is not a legal body, its findings can put diplomatic pressure on governments and gather evidence for potential prosecutions.
Pillay confirmed the COI is cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor and has shared thousands of pieces of evidence.
A Warning to the International Community
“The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Pillay insisted, warning that inaction could amount to complicity.
Accusations of genocide have been raised previously by NGOs, independent UN experts, and before international courts, though the UN has not officially labeled the conflict as genocide.
International pressure has grown, with the ICJ ordering Israel to prevent incitement to genocide in January 2024, and the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Continued Global Tensions
The report comes amid ongoing international controversy.
Last month, the US imposed sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors involved in Gaza-related investigations, reflecting broader geopolitical tensions over accountability.
As the situation unfolds, the UN’s findings add further scrutiny to Israel’s military campaign and heighten calls for global action to protect civilians in Gaza.