UN Commission says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

A United Nations commission has said that Israel has committed and continues to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

The new report released today by the International Commission of Inquiry, which is set up by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate potential violations of international human rights law, says "it is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza."

It is the first time that an allegation of genocide has been made by a UN body.

According to the Commission, Israel has carried out four out of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention: killing members of a group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of a group, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to physically destroy the group.

The Commission cites statements by Israeli civilian and military authorities as well as the "pattern of conduct" of Israeli forces since October 2023 as evidence of genocidal intent.

According to the report, Israel's "patterns of conduct" include blocking humanitarian aid, imposing starvation, targeting healthcare and education systems, systematic acts of sexual and gender based violence, directly targeting children, attacking religious and cultural sites and ignoring the orders of the International Court of Justice.

It adds that the Israeli government "failed to prevent and punish the commission of genocide, through failure to investigate genocidal acts and to prosecute alleged perpetrators."

"The Commission finds that the Israeli authorities had no intention to change their course of actions," said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission.

"On the contrary, Israeli authorities have persisted and continued with their genocidal campaign in Gaza for almost two years now. Israel must immediately end the genocide in Gaza and comply fully with the orders for provisional measures of the International Court of Justice."

The report concludes with recommendations to UN member states, including to cease the transfer of military equipment to Israel, ensure individuals and corporations within their jurisdiction are not involved in aiding Israel's attacks and take legal action to hold accountable any individual or corporation aiding Israel directly or indirectly.

"The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza," Pillay said.

"When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity. Every day of inaction costs lives and erodes the credibility of the international community. All States are under a legal obligation to use all means that are reasonably available to them to stop the genocide in Gaza."

The Israeli foreign ministry released a statement in response, claiming the report is "distorted and false" and calling for the commission to be abolished.

The report is based on previous investigations reaching back to the Commission's founding in 2021, as well as factual and legal findings of Israel's attacks on Gaza and explicit statements made by Israeli authorities from October 2023 to July 2025.