GENEVA, Switzerland — On Wednesday, a United Nations investigation revealed that Israel committed crimes against humanity, including extermination, during the Gaza war, alongside war crimes committed by both Israeli and Palestinian armed groups.
The independent Commission of Inquiry’s report marks the first in-depth investigation by the global organization into the war that began on October 7, 2023.
The report concluded that Israel perpetrated war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violated international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL). It highlighted “a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population in Gaza.”
“The commission found that the crimes against humanity of extermination; murder; gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys; forcible transfer; and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment were committed,” the report stated.
Israel rejected these findings, accusing the UN commission of “systematic anti-Israeli discrimination.”
The conflict erupted following unprecedented attacks by Hamas on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, primarily civilians, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP) based on Israeli official figures.
The commission also reported that in the October 7 attack, members of Hamas’ military wings, other Palestinian armed groups, and civilians committed war crimes, as well as violations of IHL and IHRL.
Militants captured 251 hostages, with 116 still held in Gaza, although the Israeli army reports that 41 of them are dead.
In retaliation, the Israeli army launched a severe offensive on the Gaza Strip, resulting in over 37,000 deaths, mostly civilians, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The UN Human Rights Council established the Commission of Inquiry in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of IHL and IHRL in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Since October 7, the commission has focused on the war between Israel and Hamas.
“It is imperative that all those who have committed crimes be held accountable,” said Navi Pillay, the commission’s chairman, a former UN rights chief, and ex-International Criminal Court judge. “Israel must immediately stop its military operations and attacks in Gaza,” she added. “Hamas and Palestinian armed groups must immediately cease rocket attacks and release all hostages. The taking of hostages constitutes a war crime.”
The commission concluded that on October 7, members of Hamas, other Palestinian armed groups, and participating civilians “deliberately killed, injured, mistreated, took hostages and committed sexual and gender-based violence” against civilians and Israeli security forces. These actions are considered war crimes and violations of IHL and IHRL.
The commission also found “significant evidence on the desecration of corpses, including sexualized desecration, decapitations, lacerations, burning, severing of body parts, and undressing.” Women were subjected to gender-based violence during execution or abduction, with their bodies used as victory trophies by male perpetrators. Children who witnessed the killing of their relatives were filmed for propaganda purposes, with many targeted for abduction.
The report criticized Israeli authorities for failing to protect civilians in southern Israel and accused them of using starvation as a method of warfare, committing willful killings, intentionally attacking civilians and civilian objects, forcible transfer, sexual violence, torture, and arbitrary detention.
The siege imposed on Gaza constitutes collective punishment and reprisal against the civilian population, violating IHL. Starvation will affect the population, especially children, for decades.
The report, based on interviews with victims and witnesses, remote research, and analysis of thousands of verified open-source items, satellite imagery, and forensic medical reports, will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council next week.