An independent UN commission has concluded that Israel has committed and continues to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
A new report from the International Commission of Inquiry, set up by the UN's Human Rights Council to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, found Israeli authorities and security forces committed four of the five genocidal acts as defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Those included: killing; causing serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians in whole or in part; and imposing measures intended to prevent births, according to the report.
The report concluded that statements by Israeli civilian and military authorities and the "pattern of conduct" of Israeli security forces indicated that "genocidal acts" were committed with "intent to destroy" Palestinians in Gaza as a group.
"The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza," said Navi Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, now Chair of the Commission.
"It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.
"The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza," Ms Pillay said.
"The Commission also finds that Israel has failed to prevent and punish the commission of genocide, through failure to investigate genocidal acts and to prosecute alleged perpetrators," she added.
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Commission established 'genocidal acts'
The 72-page report was based on the Commission of Inquiry’s previous investigations, factual and legal findings regarding attacks in Gaza, as well as the conduct and statements of Israeli authorities from 7 October 2023 until 31 July 2025, according to the report authors.
In establishing "genocidal acts," the Commission said it examined Israeli military operations in Gaza, including the killing and injuring of "an unprecedented number of Palestinians", blocking humanitarian aid leading to starvation, the destruction of healthcare and education systems, acts of sexual and gender-based violence, the targeting of children, and attacks on religious and cultural sites.
"Genocidal intent" was established by analysis of statements made by Israeli authorities and the conduct of authorities and military forces on the ground, according to the report.
The Commission also analysed the "pattern of conduct" of Israeli authorities and the Israeli security forces in Gaza, including "using starvation as a method of warfare," and found genocidal intent was "the only reasonable inference that could be drawn from the totality of the evidence".
"Israel has flagrantly disregarded the orders for provisional measures from the International Court of Justice and warnings from Member States, UN offices, human rights organisations and civil society groups, and continued the strategy of destruction of the Palestinians in Gaza," said Ms Pillay.
"The Commission finds that the Israeli authorities had no intention to change their course of actions," she said.
"On the contrary, Israeli authorities have persisted and continued with their genocidal campaign in Gaza for almost two years now," she added.
Herzog, Netanyahu and Gallant 'incited the commission of genocide'
The Commission also concluded that Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then defence minister Yoav Gallant, "incited the commission of genocide," and that "Israeli authorities have failed to take action against them to punish this incitement".
The report authors said they had not "fully assessed statements by other Israeli political and military leaders" and recommended that statements by Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister for Finance Bezalel Smotrich be assessed to "determine whether they constitute incitement to commit genocide".
Ms Pillay called on UN member states to cease the transfer of arms to Israel and demand accountability from Israel.
"When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity," she said.
Ms Pillay and her co-commissioners Chris Sidoti and Miloon Kothari announced their resignations from the independent panel in July. They are due to leave their posts in October.
Read more: EU members 'deciding to stay silent' on Gaza - President
The team denied their resignations were related to "external pressure," citing age and medical conditions.
But Israel has repeatedly criticised the work of the Commission, with officials labelling its reports "blood libel".
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who was named in the report, condemned its findings, which he said misinterpreted his words.
"While Israel defends its people and seeks the return of hostages, this morally bankrupt commission obsesses over blaming the Jewish state, whitewashing Hamas's atrocities, and turning victims of one of the worst massacres of modern times into the accused," he said.
Israel's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, called the report "scandalous" and "fake", saying it had been authored by "Hamas proxies".
"Israel categorically rejects the libellous rant published today by this commission of inquiry," Mr Meron told journalists.
Israel accuses the commission of having a political agenda against Israel and diverging from its mandate, and declined to cooperate with it.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously dismissed the commission’s findings as irrelevant and "antisemitic".
The Trump administration withdrew from the UN’s Human Rights Council and other UN bodies in February over "anti-Israel sentiment".
