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| Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN commission of inquiry | Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN commission of inquiry |
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| Report cites scale of killings and aid blockages and accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of inciting commission of genocide | Report cites scale of killings and aid blockages and accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of inciting commission of genocide |
| Middle East crisis – live updates | Middle East crisis – live updates |
| A UN commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and accused senior Israeli officials including Benjamin Netanyahu of inciting it. | A UN commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and accused senior Israeli officials including Benjamin Netanyahu of inciting it. |
| The United Nations independent international commission of inquiry (COI), which does not speak on behalf of the UN and has been criticised strongly by Israel, cited the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a fertility clinic in the territory to support its finding of genocide. | |
| In its latest report on the rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, published nearly two years after the war erupted, it found that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur”, said its head, Navi Pillay. | In its latest report on the rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, published nearly two years after the war erupted, it found that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur”, said its head, Navi Pillay. |
| Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, added: “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.” | Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, added: “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.” |
| Israel’s foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the report and called for the COI to be abolished. Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, called the report a scandalousand fake “libellous rant” that had been authored by “Hamas proxies”. Israel has declined to cooperate with the COI, accusing it of having a political agenda. | Israel’s foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the report and called for the COI to be abolished. Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, called the report a scandalousand fake “libellous rant” that had been authored by “Hamas proxies”. Israel has declined to cooperate with the COI, accusing it of having a political agenda. |
| The report was published as Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza City after weeks of intense bombardment across the territory’s largest urban centre. | The report was published as Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza City after weeks of intense bombardment across the territory’s largest urban centre. |
| Nearly 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Hamas’s deadly attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza, and a global hunger monitor has said part of the territory is suffering from famine. | Nearly 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Hamas’s deadly attack against Israel on 7 October 2023, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza, and a global hunger monitor has said part of the territory is suffering from famine. |
| The independent COI’s 72-page analysis is the strongest UN finding to date, but its conclusions do not officially represent the UN’s official position. The world body itself has not yet used the term genocide but is under growing pressure to do so. | The independent COI’s 72-page analysis is the strongest UN finding to date, but its conclusions do not officially represent the UN’s official position. The world body itself has not yet used the term genocide but is under growing pressure to do so. |
| Israel has consistently rejected all such accusations, citing its right to self-defence after the Hamas attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. It is fighting a genocide case at the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague. | Israel has consistently rejected all such accusations, citing its right to self-defence after the Hamas attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. It is fighting a genocide case at the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague. |
| Citing as evidence interviews with victims, witnesses, doctors, verified open-source documents and satellite imagery analysis compiled since the war began, the COI concluded that Israeli authorities and forces had since October 2023 committed “four of the five genocidal acts” listed in the 1948 genocide convention. | Citing as evidence interviews with victims, witnesses, doctors, verified open-source documents and satellite imagery analysis compiled since the war began, the COI concluded that Israeli authorities and forces had since October 2023 committed “four of the five genocidal acts” listed in the 1948 genocide convention. |
| The convention, adopted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews by Nazi Germany in the second world war, defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such”. To count as genocide, at least one of five acts must have occurred. | The convention, adopted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews by Nazi Germany in the second world war, defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such”. To count as genocide, at least one of five acts must have occurred. |
| The five acts are: killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. | The five acts are: killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. |
| The investigators said explicit statements by Israeli civilian and military authorities, along with the pattern of the conduct of the Israeli forces, “indicated that the genocidal acts were committed with intent to destroy … Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a group”. | The investigators said explicit statements by Israeli civilian and military authorities, along with the pattern of the conduct of the Israeli forces, “indicated that the genocidal acts were committed with intent to destroy … Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a group”. |
| It cited as evidence a letter Netanyahu wrote to Israeli soldiers in November 2023 in which he compared the Gaza operation to what the commission describes as a “holy war of total annihilation” in the Hebrew Bible. | It cited as evidence a letter Netanyahu wrote to Israeli soldiers in November 2023 in which he compared the Gaza operation to what the commission describes as a “holy war of total annihilation” in the Hebrew Bible. |
| The report concluded that Israel’s prime minister, as well as its president, Isaac Herzog, and the former defence minister Yoav Gallant, had “incited the commission of genocide” and that Israeli authorities had “failed to take action against them to punish this incitement”. | The report concluded that Israel’s prime minister, as well as its president, Isaac Herzog, and the former defence minister Yoav Gallant, had “incited the commission of genocide” and that Israeli authorities had “failed to take action against them to punish this incitement”. |
| Pillay, a former South African judge who has served as a judge at the international criminal court (ICC) and headed the international tribunal for Rwanda, said the international community “cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza”. | Pillay, a former South African judge who has served as a judge at the international criminal court (ICC) and headed the international tribunal for Rwanda, said the international community “cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza”. |
| She said: “When I look at the facts in the Rwandan genocide, it’s very, very similar to this. You dehumanise your victims. They’re animals, and so therefore, without conscience, you can kill them.” | She said: “When I look at the facts in the Rwandan genocide, it’s very, very similar to this. You dehumanise your victims. They’re animals, and so therefore, without conscience, you can kill them.” |
| While the UN itself has not labelled the situation in Gaza a genocide, its aid chief urged world leaders in May to “act decisively to prevent genocide”, and its rights chief has denounced Israeli “genocidal rhetoric”. | While the UN itself has not labelled the situation in Gaza a genocide, its aid chief urged world leaders in May to “act decisively to prevent genocide”, and its rights chief has denounced Israeli “genocidal rhetoric”. |
| Last January, the ICJ ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza. Four months later, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity. | Last January, the ICJ ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza. Four months later, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity. |
| AFP and Reuters contributed to this report |