United Nations investigators have accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, alleging that top Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, bear responsibility for incitement to destroy the Palestinian people.
The findings were published Tuesday by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which investigates human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The commission, led by former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, concluded that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur.”
Israel swiftly rejected the report, calling it “distorted and false.” Its foreign ministry demanded the “immediate abolition” of the COI, which it has long criticized as biased.
The latest report comes nearly two years after the Gaza war erupted following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack in Israel that killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a massive military campaign that Gaza’s health ministry says has killed nearly 65,000 people, also mostly civilians. The UN considers the Gaza ministry’s toll reliable.
The COI said Israel has carried out four of the five acts defined as genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention, including killing members of a group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting life-threatening conditions, and imposing measures to prevent births.
Investigators also cited statements from Israeli leaders and patterns of military conduct as evidence of intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza “as a group.” The report specifically accused President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant of inciting genocide.
“The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons,” Pillay said.
While the commission has no legal authority, its findings could be used in future court cases. Pillay confirmed that evidence is being shared with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” she warned. “The absence of action to stop it amounts to complicity.”
Israel has consistently denied genocide allegations, rejecting them as politically motivated. The UN itself has not officially declared the situation in Gaza a genocide, though senior UN officials have warned of “genocidal rhetoric” and urged urgent action.
In January 2024, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent incitement to genocide, while the ICC later issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over alleged war crimes. That move drew sharp backlash from allies, with the United States imposing sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors involved.
