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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 |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Report cites scale of killings and aid blockages, and calls on member countries to punish those responsible | Report cites scale of killings and aid blockages, and calls on member countries to punish those responsible |
| A UN commission has found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and massive destruction, and has called on member countries to punish those responsible for it. | A UN commission has found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and massive destruction, and has called on member countries to punish those responsible for it. |
| The United Nations independent international commission of inquiry (COI), which does not speak on behalf of the UN, found that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur”, said its head, Navi Pillay. | The United Nations independent international commission of inquiry (COI), which does not speak on behalf of the UN, found that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur”, said its head, Navi Pillay. |
| “When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity,” she added. “All states are under a legal obligation to use all means that are reasonably available to them to stop the genocide in Gaza.” | “When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity,” she added. “All states are under a legal obligation to use all means that are reasonably available to them to stop the genocide in Gaza.” |
| The COI, set up by the UN in 2021 and staffed by three independent experts, cited the killing of civilians and children in a “scorched-earth military strategy”, starvation and deaths caused by restrictions on food and medicines, mistreatment of detainees, forced displacement and the physical devastation of much of the territory to support its finding. | The COI, set up by the UN in 2021 and staffed by three independent experts, cited the killing of civilians and children in a “scorched-earth military strategy”, starvation and deaths caused by restrictions on food and medicines, mistreatment of detainees, forced displacement and the physical devastation of much of the territory to support its finding. |
| The COI also accused Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister who has been accused of war crimes by the international criminal court, and other senior Israeli leaders of incitement of genocide, and said there was clear evidence of their genocidal intent, a key legal requirement. | The COI also accused Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister who has been accused of war crimes by the international criminal court, and other senior Israeli leaders of incitement of genocide, and said there was clear evidence of their genocidal intent, a key legal requirement. |
| “The commission concludes that statements made by Israeli authorities are direct evidence of genocidal intent … The commission also concludes … that genocidal intent was the only reasonably inference that can be drawn from the totality of the evidence,” Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, told reporters. | “The commission concludes that statements made by Israeli authorities are direct evidence of genocidal intent … The commission also concludes … that genocidal intent was the only reasonably inference that can be drawn from the totality of the evidence,” Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, told reporters. |
| 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 scandalous and 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 scandalous and 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 72-page report was published as Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza City after weeks of intense bombardment in and around the territory’s largest urban centre, where about 1 million people have been living, many displaced from other areas of the territory. | The 72-page report was published as Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza City after weeks of intense bombardment in and around the territory’s largest urban centre, where about 1 million people have been living, many displaced from other areas of the territory. |
| The 23-month-long war was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas launched a deadly attack into Israel in which militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. | The 23-month-long war was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas launched a deadly attack into Israel in which militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. |
| So far, the ensuing Israeli offensive has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and injured more than 160,000. Last month, a respected global hunger monitoring group declared a famine in parts of Gaza. | So far, the ensuing Israeli offensive has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and injured more than 160,000. Last month, a respected global hunger monitoring group declared a famine in parts of Gaza. |
| The independent COI’s analysis is the strongest finding by a UN body to date but its conclusions do not 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 analysis is the strongest finding by a UN body to date but its conclusions do not 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. |
| UN insiders said on Tuesday that the report would influence key actors within the organisation and member governments but there was little chance that it would be “adopted by the UN in any collective way”. | UN insiders said on Tuesday that the report would influence key actors within the organisation and member governments but there was little chance that it would be “adopted by the UN in any collective way”. |
| On Tuesday, Volker Türk, the UN’s high commissioner on human rights, said evidence of a “genocide” unfolding in Gaza was mounting. | On Tuesday, Volker Türk, the UN’s high commissioner on human rights, said evidence of a “genocide” unfolding in Gaza was mounting. |
| “We see the piling up of war crime after war crime after war crime, of crime against humanity, and potentially even more,” Türk said. “It’s for the court to decide whether it’s genocide or not, and we see the evidence mounting.” | “We see the piling up of war crime after war crime after war crime, of crime against humanity, and potentially even more,” Türk said. “It’s for the court to decide whether it’s genocide or not, and we see the evidence mounting.” |
| Last month, hundreds of Türk’s own staff signed an internal letter telling him to declare Israel’s offensive in Gaza a genocide and to call on UN member states to suspend arms sales to Israel. | Last month, hundreds of Türk’s own staff signed an internal letter telling him to declare Israel’s offensive in Gaza a genocide and to call on UN member states to suspend arms sales to Israel. |
| Citing as evidence interviews with victims, witnesses and doctors, reporting by media and NGOs as well as 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 and doctors, reporting by media and NGOs as well as 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 murder of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such”. | The convention, adopted in the wake of the murder of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such”. |
| The report said Israeli leaders had continued with a strategy that inflicted massive harm on civilians despite being aware of the consequences of its choice. | The report said Israeli leaders had continued with a strategy that inflicted massive harm on civilians despite being aware of the consequences of its choice. |
| “Israel has used heavy unguided munitions with a wide margin of error in densely populated residential areas … The number of bombs used by Israel since 7 October 2023 is extraordinary even in comparison to other world conflicts,” the report said. | “Israel has used heavy unguided munitions with a wide margin of error in densely populated residential areas … The number of bombs used by Israel since 7 October 2023 is extraordinary even in comparison to other world conflicts,” the report said. |
| The commission also pointed to deaths and suffering that resulted from attacks on Gaza’s health system and accused Israel of covering up wrongdoing. | The commission also pointed to deaths and suffering that resulted from attacks on Gaza’s health system and accused Israel of covering up wrongdoing. |
| The report 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 report 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 described 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 described as a “holy war of total annihilation” in the Hebrew Bible. |
| Pillay, a former South African judge who has served as a judge at the international criminal court 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 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”. |
| Israel has consistently rejected all accusations of genocide, citing its right to self-defence. Last January, the international court of justice 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. | Israel has consistently rejected all accusations of genocide, citing its right to self-defence. Last January, the international court of justice 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. |