UN Says Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza
International Independent Commission Concludes Genocide Ongoing Since October 2023
The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
In its 72‑page report, the commission highlights the presence of four of the five legal criteria for genocide:
- Killing members of the group;
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm;
- Deliberately imposing living conditions calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction;
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.
These crimes, characteristic of genocide, were carried out by Israeli authorities and security forces with the specific intent to destroy, wholly or partially, the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The findings add to other statements issued this year and in 2024, such as the UN Special Rapporteur’s March 2024 report that also warned of an ongoing genocide, and the conclusions of the Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide.
The UN‑appointed Independent Commission enumerates a range of violations, including:
- Attacks on civilians, protected persons and property
- Deliberate imposition of life‑threatening conditions that caused deaths
- Severe mistreatment of detained Palestinians, including torture, rape and sexual assault
- Forced displacement and environmental destruction, targeting infrastructure and essential lands
- Blockade of necessary humanitarian aid
- Reproductive violence and denial of medical care, especially for children