UN experts have accused Israel of committing genocidal acts and using sexual violence in Gaza, according to a new report released on Thursday.
The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel stated that Israeli authorities systematically destroyed women’s healthcare facilities during the conflict in Gaza. The commission alleges that these actions aimed to “destroy in part the reproductive capacity of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group,” which is considered a genocidal act under international law.
The report also highlights a surge in maternal deaths due to restricted access to medical supplies, asserting that such consequences amount to the crime against humanity of extermination.
Furthermore, the commission accuses Israeli security forces of employing forced public stripping and sexual assault as part of their operations to punish Palestinians following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023.
Israel’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva has firmly rejected the allegations, describing them as unfounded, biased, and lacking credibility. “The IDF has concrete directives and policies which unequivocally prohibit such misconduct,” the mission stated, emphasizing that its review processes align with international standards.
A previous report published by the commission in June 2024 accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups of serious rights violations during the October 7, 2023, attacks, including torture and degrading treatment.
Israel is a party to the Genocide Convention and was reportedly ordered in January 2024 by the International Court of Justice to take action to prevent acts of genocide during its war against Hamas. However, Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute, which means the International Criminal Court does not have jurisdiction to rule on individual criminal cases involving genocide and crimes against humanity in this context.
South Africa has brought a genocide case against Israel’s actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.
The conflict, which ignited after Hamas carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has had devastating consequences. According to Gaza health officials, more than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed. Israeli tallies report that Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
