An independent commission of inquiry mandated by the UN Human Rights Council has accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The report, presented Tuesday in Geneva by South African lawyer Navi Pillay, states that "the intention to destroy the Palestinians" is clear.

Serious accusations against top Israeli leaders

The 72-page document implicates top Israeli officials, including President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

According to the commission, these officials have “orchestrated a genocidal campaign for nearly two years” specifically targeting the Palestinian population of Gaza.

The report states that Israel has committed four of the five acts constituting genocide defined by the 1948 Convention, namely:

- The killing of members of the targeted group

- Serious attacks on physical and mental integrity

- The imposition of destructive living conditions

- Measures to prevent births

A catastrophic humanitarian situation

Investigators denounce an “unprecedented” number of Palestinians killed, including children who were directly targeted. They also mention:

- The siege imposed on Gaza

- Famine caused by the blocking of humanitarian aid

- The systematic destruction of health and education infrastructure

- Sexual and gender-based violence

- Attacks on religious and cultural sites

- Failure to comply with orders of the International Court of Justice

Navi Pillay insists: “Every day of inaction costs lives and erodes the credibility of the international community.” She calls for urgent action to end what she calls a “genocidal campaign.”

Israel firmly rejects the findings

The Israeli government immediately responded by describing the report as "biased and misleading." The Foreign Ministry, headed by Gideon Saar, accused the commission of "serving as a proxy for Hamas" and called for its dissolution, APS reported.

On the night before the report's publication, a large-scale Israeli military operation targeted Gaza, killing at least 38 people, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, quoted by AFP.

The report comes amid a tense international climate, nearly two years after the start of the war sparked by the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The UN General Assembly recently adopted the “New York Declaration” reaffirming the two-state solution, while excluding Hamas from the negotiations.