In Gaza, Israel Faces Formal Genocide Claims From UN-Backed Experts
FILE PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians arrive in Gaza City from their camps in the southern part of the enclave (Mohammed Saber/EPA)
A panel of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has released a detailed report accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The three-member Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, established four years ago, concluded on Tuesday that Israel’s actions meet the criteria of genocide as defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention. The report calls on the international community to end the violence and hold those responsible accountable.
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” said Navi Pillay, the commission’s chair and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria outlined in the Genocide Convention.” The commission’s findings are described as “deeply documented” and represent the latest in a series of accusations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government amid the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
The report highlights that Israel has carried out four of the five acts defined as genocidal under the Genocide Convention. It points to a combination of factors, including the high civilian death toll, a “total siege” on Gaza that restricts humanitarian aid, systematic destruction of health infrastructure, and attacks on children. According to the commission, top Israeli officials—including Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant—have incited genocidal acts. However, the commission has not yet assessed whether other Israeli leaders bear similar responsibility.
However, Israel has categorically rejected the report. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called it “distorted and false,” accusing the commission members of being “Hamas proxies” with “openly antisemitic positions.” The ministry added, “Three individuals serving as Hamas proxies, notorious for their openly antisemitic positions—and whose horrific statements about Jews have been condemned worldwide—released today another fake report about Gaza.” Israeli officials have also described the accusations as a form of antisemitic “blood libel,” a particularly sensitive charge given Israel’s foundation as a refuge for Jews after the Holocaust.
The commission’s report comes amid a backdrop of ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel has refused to cooperate with the commission, accusing both the panel and the Human Rights Council of bias. The United States, under the Trump administration, had previously withdrawn from the HRC citing similar concerns about bias.
Despite lacking enforcement powers, the commission’s findings could support legal proceedings at international judicial bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) or the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ is currently hearing a genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel, though critics warn that judicial processes may take years while the conflict continues to claim lives.
“The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Pillay emphasized. “When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity.” The experts urged states to suspend weapons transfers to Israel and to take steps to prevent individuals or entities from contributing to possible genocidal actions.
Volker Turk, the current UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has condemned Israel’s conduct in Gaza but has not formally accused Israel of genocide. His office maintains that only an international court can make such a determination.
The report’s release coincided with a renewed wave of Israeli military operations in Gaza. On the same day, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz declared, “Gaza is burning,” following heavy overnight airstrikes targeting Gaza City. Katz’s remarks signaled a new phase of intensified military action focused on the northern part of the territory.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking while departing Israel for Qatar, suggested that the new phase of operations had already begun. “The Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen,” Rubio said. “We don’t have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks.”
The escalation has drawn international concern, especially as humanitarian access to Gaza remains severely restricted. The commission’s report underscores the urgent need for the global community to respond to the unfolding crisis and to hold accountable those responsible for alleged violations of international law.
As the commission members step down—citing personal reasons and the need for institutional change—this report marks their final assessment. Navi Pillay and her colleagues leave behind a stark warning: the situation in Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide, and the world must act before more lives are lost.
