An independent United Nations commission has determined that Israel has committed, and continues to commit, acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, reports RTE.
The latest report by the International Commission of Inquiry—established by the UN Human Rights Council to examine breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law—found that Israeli forces and authorities had carried out four out of five acts that constitute genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
These acts include killing; causing severe physical or mental harm; creating living conditions aimed at destroying Palestinians in whole or part; and imposing restrictions to prevent births, the report stated, reports RTE.
The Commission concluded that remarks made by Israeli leaders and the consistent behaviour of Israeli forces demonstrated that “genocidal acts” were carried out with an “intent to destroy” Palestinians in Gaza as a group.
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” said Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and current Chair of the Commission,” reports RTE.
“It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention. The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza,” Ms Pillay added, reports RTE.
She also said that Israel had failed in its obligation to prevent and prosecute genocide, as it had not investigated or taken legal action against those responsible.
The 72-page report draws from the Commission’s prior investigations, legal and factual findings on the conflict in Gaza, and public statements made by Israeli leaders from 7 October 2023 through 31 July 2025, reports RTE.
To establish the case for genocide, the Commission reviewed Israeli military actions in Gaza, including unprecedented civilian casualties, severe restrictions on aid leading to famine, attacks on healthcare and education, gender-based violence, child casualties, and destruction of cultural and religious landmarks.
According to the report, the conclusion of “genocidal intent” came from an evaluation of official statements and military conduct on the ground, reports RTE.
The Commission also assessed the overall actions of Israeli authorities and forces, such as “employing starvation as a method of warfare,” and found that genocidal intent was “the only reasonable inference that could be drawn from the totality of the evidence”.
“Israel has flagrantly disregarded the orders for provisional measures from the International Court of Justice and warnings from Member States, UN offices, human rights organisations and civil society groups, and continued the strategy of destruction of the Palestinians in Gaza,” Ms Pillay said, reports RTE.
“The Commission finds that the Israeli authorities had no intention to change their course of actions,” she continued, reports RTE.
“On the contrary, Israeli authorities have persisted and continued with their genocidal campaign in Gaza for almost two years now,” she added, reports RTE.
The report also names Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as having “incited the commission of genocide,” and notes that no action has been taken against them.
While the Commission has not completed its review of statements from other senior Israeli officials, it urged an assessment of remarks by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to determine if they also amount to incitement to genocide, reports RTE.
Ms Pillay called on UN member states to halt all arms transfers to Israel and to hold it accountable.
“When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, the absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity,” she stated, reports RTE.
Ms Pillay and fellow commissioners Chris Sidoti and Miloon Kothari announced in July that they would be stepping down in October, citing age and health reasons.
They denied that their resignations were linked to any outside pressure, reports RTE.
Israel has strongly condemned the Commission’s work, repeatedly accusing it of bias, and has refused to cooperate with its investigations.
President Isaac Herzog, who is named in the report, rejected its findings and said his past remarks were taken out of context.
“While Israel defends its people and seeks the return of hostages, this morally bankrupt commission obsesses over blaming the Jewish state, whitewashing Hamas’s atrocities, and turning victims of one of the worst massacres of modern times into the accused,” he said, reports RTE.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, denounced the findings as “scandalous” and “fake”, alleging that the report was drafted by “Hamas proxies”.
“Israel categorically rejects the libellous rant published today by this commission of inquiry,” Mr Meron told reporters, reports RTE.
Israeli officials have long accused the commission of pursuing a political agenda and overstepping its mandate.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously dismissed the commission’s work as irrelevant and “antisemitic”, reports RTE.
The Trump administration had earlier pulled the United States out of the UN Human Rights Council and other UN agencies, citing alleged anti-Israel bias, reports RTE.
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