Israel commits genocide in Gaza, concludes UN Inquiry Commission

The UN Independent Independent International Inquiry Commission has concluded that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. In a report released on Tuesday (16), the investigators state that four of the five acts provided for in the 1948 genocide Convention are being committed against the Palestinian population. The document points to murders, serious damage to physical and mental integrity, unsustainable living conditions and measures to prevent birth as part of a deliberate policy.

According to the commission, the evidence shows that Israel’s actions are not limited to military operations, but reveal the intention to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian national and ethnic group. The report highlights the systematic blockade of humanitarian aid, attacks on medical infrastructure, including hospitals and reproductive health clinics, and episodes of gender violence against pregnant women and children.

The text directly blames Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for incitement to genocide and practices that exceed the limit of war crimes and crimes against humanity. For investigators, the rhetoric of high leaders and the orders performed on the ground prove the specific intention required by international law to characterize the crime.

Israel rejected the conclusions, calling them false, unfair and politically motivated. The government stated that the commission was based on indirect and not independently verified information, accusing the UN body of partially acting. Still, experts evaluate that the report strengthens ongoing processes at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

The UN document increases the diplomatic pressure on Israel and should intensify the global debate around measures such as sanctions, weapons embargoes and new multilateral resolutions. For human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, the conclusion represents a milestone, as it transforms historical complaints into an official opinion of an international instance.

For the authors of the report, the immediate priority is to interrupt violations, ensure protection to civilians and hold the leaders involved. According to them, the recognition of genocide in Gaza is also an alert to the international community: ignoring such crimes weakens the credibility of the human rights system created after World War II.