A United Nations Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and that senior leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, bear responsibility for inciting it.
In its strongest assessment yet, the commission said widespread killings, forced displacement, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and destruction of infrastructure — including medical facilities — meet the legal criteria for genocide.
“Genocide is occurring in Gaza,” said Navi Pillay, head of the commission and a former International Criminal Court judge. “The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign with the intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza.”
Israel has rejected the findings and accused the commission of bias. Its mission in Geneva dismissed the report as politically motivated and reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that left 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 64,000 people have been killed since the start of the war. Aid groups also warn of famine conditions across the territory.
The commission’s 72-page report cites four acts outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention: killing members of a group, causing serious harm, creating conditions of life leading to destruction, and imposing measures to prevent births. Investigators relied on testimony from survivors, satellite imagery, and verified documents.
It also highlighted statements by Netanyahu and other officials, including President Isaac Herzog and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as evidence of genocidal intent. The report pointed to Netanyahu’s November 2023 letter to soldiers describing the campaign in Gaza as a “holy war of total annihilation.”
Pillay, who previously oversaw the UN tribunal on Rwanda, said the rhetoric and actions in Gaza bear resemblance to the 1994 genocide there. “You dehumanise your victims — call them animals — and then, without conscience, you kill them,” she said.
Israel is already facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, though the ICJ has so far refrained from naming Netanyahu personally. Pillay expressed hope that the new findings would push states to confront the issue directly.
