UN Commission Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza Amid Rising Violence

GENEVA — A United Nations independent commission has accused Israel of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, asserting the state's intent to destroy the group and holding senior Israeli leaders accountable for incitement.\n\nThe Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which operates independently of the UN and has faced strong criticism from Israel, released a report stating that "genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur," commission chair Navi Pillay declared. "The responsibility lies with the State of Israel."\n\nIsrael responded swiftly, categorically denying the allegations. The Israeli foreign ministry denounced the report as "distorted and false," calling for the commission's immediate disbandment.\n\nThe commission, tasked with investigating human rights issues in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, published its findings nearly two years after the conflict escalated due to Hamas's surprise attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,219 Israeli deaths, predominantly civilians.\n\nThe subsequent Israeli military response has led to nearly 65,000 fatalities in Gaza, mostly civilians, as reported by Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry, figures the United Nations considers credible. The majority of Gaza's population has experienced displacement, with escalated conflict pushing more residents to flee amid a declared famine in Gaza City.\n\nThe COI reported that Israeli authorities have committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention: killing group members, inflicting serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately causing life conditions intended to partially or fully destroy the group, and preventing births within the group.\n\nInvestigators pointed to statements from Israeli civilian and military leaders and patterns of force use as evidence of intent to annihilate Palestinians in Gaza. The report specifically named Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as having incited genocide, noting a failure by authorities to take punitive actions against them.\n\nPillay, 83, a former judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and past UN human rights chief, emphasized that the highest levels of Israeli leadership bear responsibility for these crimes.\n\nWhile not a judicial entity, the COI's findings carry significant diplomatic weight and support legal investigations. Pillay confirmed cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating, "We’ve shared thousands of pieces of information with them."\n\nShe warned the international community against complacency, stating, "The absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity."\n\nThe genocide accusations against Israel have also been echoed by non-governmental organizations and independent UN experts, though the UN itself has refrained from officially labeling the conflict as such. The UN's humanitarian chief has called for decisive global action to prevent genocide, and the rights chief condemned what was described as "genocidal rhetoric" from Israeli officials.\n\nIn January 2024, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to "prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide" in Gaza. Four months later, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.\n\nThe ICC's actions provoked backlash from the United States government, which last month imposed sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors, restricting their access and freezing assets in response.\n\nThe commission's report marks a critical juncture in international scrutiny of the Gaza conflict and places heightened pressure on global actors to respond to alleged war crimes and human rights violations.