UN inquiry says Israel commits genocide in Gaza, Israel denies claim

A United Nations-appointed commission has concluded that Israel is committing genocide in its military campaign in Gaza, marking one of the most severe international condemnations of the war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Israel has vehemently rejected the report, dismissing it as a distorted and antisemitic "blood libel."

Following an exhaustive legal review, the three-member Commission of Inquiry stated that Israel had engaged in four of the five "genocidal acts" outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The commission cited Israel’s "total siege" of Gaza, the blockade of aid leading to mass starvation, the systematic destruction of the healthcare system, and the direct targeting of children as key factors.

The report holds top Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, responsible for provoking the perpetration of genocide.

Israel’s forceful rejection

Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a categorical rebuttal, calling the report "distorted and false." It attacked the credibility of the commission's members, labeling them "Hamas proxies" infamous for antisemitic views.

The accusations are particularly sensitive in Israel, a state founded as a refuge for Jews after the Holocaust.

The government maintains its military operations are targeted at Hamas, not Palestinian civilians.

Calls for international action

Led by former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, the commission lacks enforcement power but urged the international community to act.

It called on nations to halt weapons transfers to Israel and to prevent companies from engaging in actions that could facilitate genocide.

"When there are clear indications and evidence of genocide, failing to act to prevent it equates to complicity," Pillay stated.

The findings could be used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court or the International Court of Justice, which is already hearing a separate genocide case against Israel brought by South Africa.

The death toll in Gaza, as reported by the local Health Ministry, now exceeds 64,000.