UN Commission Declares Israel Responsible for Genocide in Palestine: A Call for Global Accountability
In a landmark report, published on 16 September 2025, remains crucial across international legal and diplomatic circles, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, has concluded that Israel is responsible for committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
After nearly two years of investigation into events since 7 October 2023, the Commission found that Israeli authorities and security forces carried out four of the five acts defined as genocide under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. These acts include:
- Killing members of the group
- Inflicting serious bodily or mental harm
- Deliberately imposing life conditions aimed at destroying the group
- Enacting measures intended to prevent births within the group
Evidence of Genocidal Intent
The Commission’s findings are grounded in extensive documentation, including verified witness testimonies, satellite imagery, and open-source intelligence. It applied the “only reasonable inference” standard established by the International Court of Justice in Bosnia v. Serbia, concluding that the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza was evident in both the conduct and statements of Israeli civilian and military leaders.
Chair Navi Pillay stated unequivocally:
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza… The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons.”
Systematic Destruction and Humanitarian Collapse
The report details a grim pattern of military operations and policies that have devastated Gaza’s civilian infrastructure and population. These include:
- A total siege blocking humanitarian aid, leading to mass starvation
- Destruction of healthcare and education systems
- Targeted attacks on children and cultural sites
- Systematic sexual and gender-based violence
- Disregard for International Court of Justice orders
The Commission emphasized that these actions were not isolated incidents but part of a sustained campaign with genocidal intent.
Legal and Moral Obligations
The Commission calls on Israel to immediately:
- End the genocide and comply with ICJ provisional measures
- Lift the siege and allow unrestricted humanitarian access
- Cease operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
It also urges all UN Member States to:
- Halt arms transfers and military support to Israel
- Investigate and prosecute individuals and corporations complicit in genocide
- Uphold their obligations under the Genocide Convention
Silence Is Complicity
Pillay warned that continued inaction by the international community amounts to complicity:
“Every day of inaction costs lives and erodes the credibility of the international community.”
The report places direct responsibility on Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for inciting genocide. It calls for further investigation into other political and military leaders.
This report marks a pivotal moment in the global discourse on accountability, justice, and the protection of human rights. For advocates, policymakers, and civil society actors, it is a clarion call to intensify efforts to end impunity and uphold international law.
Click HERE to read the full Report
Background: The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel was established by the UN Human Rights Council on 27 May 2021 to “investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021.” Resolution A/HRC/RES/S-30/1 further requested the commission of inquiry to “investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.”
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
