On Tuesday, a United Nations investigative body accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, stating that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are responsible for incitement and actions aimed at destroying the Palestinian population. The allegations were presented by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which, although not officially representing the UN, has been highly critical of Israel’s conduct during the Gaza conflict.
Navi Pillay, head of the commission and former UN human rights chief, said the inquiry concluded that genocide is occurring and continues in Gaza. She emphasized that accountability lies with the Israeli state. In response, Israel strongly rejected the findings, calling the report “distorted and false” and demanding the immediate dissolution of the commission.
The COI’s latest report comes nearly two years after the war in Gaza reignited following Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians. Israel’s military response has since claimed the lives of nearly 65,000 people in Gaza, the majority also civilians, according to the health ministry in Gaza—a source the UN considers credible. The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced multiple times, and famine has been officially declared in Gaza City by the UN.
The report states that Israel has committed four of the five acts defined as genocidal under the 1948 Genocide Convention. These include killing members of a group, inflicting severe harm, creating conditions intended to cause physical destruction, and preventing births. Investigators cited a pattern of military behavior and statements by Israeli leaders as evidence of intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a group.
The commission also pointed to a lack of accountability within Israeli leadership, accusing figures such as Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant of inciting genocide without facing consequences. The commission is collaborating with the International Criminal Court, having shared extensive evidence for possible future prosecutions. Pillay warned that continued international inaction could be seen as complicity.