John Adoyi and John Adoyi, PBA Journalism Mentee
A United Nations commission has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, citing four of the five genocidal acts defined under
international law since the war with Hamas began in October 2023.
The report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry alleges that Israeli forces and authorities have carried out mass killings, inflicted serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately created conditions to destroy the population and taken actions to prevent births.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe commission, chaired by former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, analysed Israeli military operations and statements by leaders including President
Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It concluded that “genocidal intent was the only reasonable inference” from Israel’s conduct, pointing to widespread attacks on civilians, religious and cultural sites, and the imposition of a siege that has starved Gaza’s population.
The report also highlighted the destruction of Gaza’s largest fertility clinic in December, which reportedly destroyed thousands of embryos and sperm samples.
The findings come as Gaza faces a humanitarian catastrophe. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 64,905 people have been killed since Israel launched its offensive following Hamas’s 7 October attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
More than 90% of Gaza’s homes are damaged or destroyed, and UN experts have declared a famine in Gaza City.
Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the report as “distorted and false,” accusing the commission of serving as “Hamas proxies” and relying on misinformation.
It argued that its campaign targets Hamas, not civilians, and complies with international law. Israeli officials maintain that Hamas, not Israel, attempted genocide by carrying out the October attack and openly calling for the destruction of Israel.
The commission warned that all countries are obligated under the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish genocide, adding that failure to act could make them complicit. The International Court of Justice is currently hearing a separate genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa, which Israel has
dismissed as baseless.
