Geneva, September 16, 2025: A United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has declared Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza a genocide, marking a historic finding after nearly two years of conflict. The report, released on Tuesday, holds the State of Israel and its senior leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and President Isaac Herzog, responsible for actions constituting genocidal intent against Palestinians in Gaza.
Navi Pillay, chairwoman of the commission and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, detailed the findings in an interview with Al Jazeera. “We’ve identified the president, the prime minister, and the former minister of defense based on their statements and the orders they’ve given,” Pillay said. “As agents of the state, under international law, the State of Israel is held responsible for committing genocide.”
The commission’s report, covering the period from October 7, 2023, to July 31, 2025, cites “explicit statements” from Israeli officials, including Netanyahu’s calls for a “holy war of total annihilation” and Gallant’s reference to Palestinians as “human animals,” alongside circumstantial evidence such as mass civilian casualties, deliberate starvation policies, and attacks on healthcare facilities. It identifies four of the five acts prohibited under the 1948 Genocide Convention: killings, causing serious harm, creating life conditions aimed at physical destruction, and preventing births. Over 60,000 Palestinian deaths, including 18,430 children and 9,735 women, and the displacement of 2.3 million residents were documented.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the report as “fake” in a statement on X, accusing the commission of acting as “Hamas proxies” and relying on “Hamas falsehoods.” The ministry called for the commission’s immediate abolition, labeling the findings “distorted and false.” Israel’s UN representative, Daniel Meron, further denounced the report as a “scandalous, fake, and libellous rant.” Israel maintains its actions are lawful self-defense against Hamas, with efforts to minimize civilian harm.
The report recommends an immediate ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid, and prosecutions at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Pillay urged global action, warning that delays cost lives and erode international credibility. The findings have ignited debates on X, with hashtags like #GazaGenocide and #StopArmingIsrael trending, while pro-Israel voices criticize the report as biased.
