UN Inquiry Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza, Sparks International Condemnation
Geneva, Switzerland - An independent United nations inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, naming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defense Minister Joav Galant as instigators. The report,released by the UN Human Rights Council,alleges that Israeli authorities have failed to take any measures to punish conduct inciting genocide.
The findings, reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP), have been vehemently rejected by Israel. Ambassador Daniel Meron, speaking to Reuters, labeled the report “scandalous and false.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry has also issued a strong condemnation, calling for the immediate dissolution of the commission.
“we came to the conclusion that genocide is taking place in Gaza, which continues, and that the State of Israel is responsible for it,” stated Navi Pillay, chair of the commission, according to AFP. The full report (https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session60/advance-version/a-hrc-60-crp-3.pdf) details accusations that Netanyahu, Herzog, and Galant stimulated genocide and that no action has been taken against them.
This report adds to a growing chorus of international concern. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have previously characterized the situation in Gaza as genocide. In August, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) issued a legal assessment concluding the Israeli actions in Gaza met the definition of genocide.more recently, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also used the term to describe the situation in Gaza.
Israel has consistently refuted such accusations.
The current conflict was ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and allied militants launched an attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 peopel and taking over 250 hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
According to figures from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the war. While the UN acknowledges these figures as generally reliable, it notes they do not differentiate between combatants and civilians, stating that the majority of casualties are believed to be civilians.
Keywords: Israel, Gaza, Genocide, UN, Human Rights, Hamas, netanyahu, Herzog, Galant, War Crimes, International Law, Amnesty International, IAGS, Pedro Sánchez, gaza Health Ministry, United Nations Human Rights Council.
