Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
For the first time, a United Nations investigative body has formally concluded that Israel has committed acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, holding senior Israeli leaders responsible for incitement to genocide. The damning 72-page report, released Tuesday by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, describes the findings as the UN’s “most credible determination to date” regarding alleged genocide in the ongoing conflict.
Four Acts of Genocide Identified
The report states that since October 7, 2023—when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, triggering a devastating Israeli military response—Israel has committed four distinct acts of genocide. These include:
- Killing Palestinians in Gaza
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm
- Deliberately inflicting living conditions intended to destroy the population in whole or in part
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.
The commission, chaired by Navi Pillay former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and judge at both the International Criminal Court and the Rwanda Tribunal cited a pattern of widespread and systematic attacks on civilians, healthcare workers, journalists, and aid personnel. These attacks, it noted, often occurred in homes, hospitals, schools, and religious buildings many of which were designated as “safe zones” by Israel itself.
Graphic Case Study: Hind Rajab
One particularly harrowing case highlighted in the report is that of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed in January 2024 alongside her family during an Israeli military operation. The report says that despite clear awareness of the family’s civilian status and their presence in an identified evacuation route, Israeli forces opened fire, killing them.
The report adds that other children were “shot in the head by snipers” even as they waved white flags or were clearly identifiable as non-combatants.
Moreover, the Israeli military was accused of intentionally using high-explosive ordnance in civilian areas despite knowing the deadly consequences. The commission concluded that such tactics were not aimed at individuals but were meant to target Palestinians as a group, solely based on their identity.
“The victims were not targeted as individuals. Rather, they were targeted collectively because of their identity as Palestinians,” the report states.
Israel Dismisses Report as Biased
The Israeli government immediately rejected the findings, calling them “distorted, false, and politically motivated.” In a statement on Tuesday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the report “relies entirely on lies promoted by Hamas” and accused the commission of serving the group’s interests.
“Israel rejects the report outright and calls for the immediate disbandment of the commission,” the ministry stated, adding that the commission’s members “have long histories of bias against Israel.”
The report also reignited long-standing Israeli criticisms of the UN Human Rights Council, which it says maintains a disproportionate focus on Israel. The U.S. under former President Donald Trump withdrew from the Council in 2018 over similar concerns, a position his administration reiterated in early 2025.
Growing International Condemnation
Despite Israel’s denial, global accusations of genocide are gaining traction. Earlier this month, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the world’s leading academic body on the subject, issued a statement supporting the genocide designation for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In December 2023, South Africa filed a landmark case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), formally accusing Israel of committing genocide, citing statements and actions by Israeli leadership that allegedly demonstrated “clear intent” to destroy the Palestinian population in Gaza.
That case remains ongoing, with provisional measures already imposed by the court urging Israel to prevent further civilian harm and facilitate humanitarian access.
Context: Ongoing Gaza Offensive
The release of the report coincides with Israel’s intensifying ground invasion of Gaza City, following nearly a year of sustained aerial bombardments. The military campaign, which Israel claims is aimed at dismantling Hamas, has drawn increasing international scrutiny for its scale, civilian toll, and alleged violations of international law.
The UN report adds yet another layer of diplomatic pressure on Israel, already facing growing isolation in global forums, including the International Criminal Court and various European parliaments.
The commission concluded its findings by urging immediate international intervention to halt the violence and called for criminal accountability for those responsible, both militarily and politically at the highest levels of the Israeli government.
While the report does not itself carry legal force, it is expected to influence upcoming proceedings at the International Criminal Court and further strain Israel’s international standing.
