Israel Accused of Genocide in Landmark UN Report on Gaza
A UN panel placed responsibility on Israel’s highest political and military authorities, naming Herzog, Netanyahu, and Gallant as figures who have incited genocide in Gaza.
People help a child who was injured by shrapnel fragments as a result of Israeli army's attack on Harmony Tower in western Gaza City, Gaza on September 10, 2025. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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he panel placed responsibility on Israel’s highest political and military authorities, naming President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as figures who have incited genocide. The report accused Israel of ignoring warnings from UN agencies, civil society groups, and provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The commission urged Israel to immediately lift its siege on Gaza, end the policy of starvation, allow full humanitarian access, and dismantle the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which it said has put civilians at risk. It also called on UN member states to halt arms transfers to Israel and prevent corporations under their jurisdiction from supporting genocidal acts.
“Every day of inaction costs lives and erodes the credibility of the international community,” Pillay warned. “All states are legally obliged to act to stop the genocide in Gaza.”
Israel dismisses findings
The report detailed systemic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare and education systems, widespread targeting of children, sexual and gender-based violence, and the bombardment of cultural and religious sites. Nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, the commission said, with famine spreading under Israel’s blockade.
Israel rejected the conclusions as “politically motivated.” The Foreign Ministry labeled the report “fake” and accused the commissioners of acting as “Hamas proxies.” In response, commissioner Chris Sidoti dismissed Israel’s rebuttal as repetitive and unoriginal, saying it resembled “statements generated by ChatGPT.”
Sidoti added that Israel has consistently failed to engage with evidence and instead relies on blanket denials “that no one takes seriously.”
Global reaction
The commission’s findings are expected to intensify calls for accountability at the upcoming UN General Assembly session, where Gaza is already high on the agenda. Pillay said the genocide in Gaza is both “a moral outrage and a legal emergency” that demands urgent international action.
“The Genocide Convention was born out of humanity’s darkest chapters,” she said. “Today, we are witnessing in real time how the promise of ‘never again’ is being broken.”
The report marks the most direct and severe condemnation of Israel yet by a UN body, placing unprecedented pressure on world governments to intervene.
(Source: Anadolu News)
