Israel guilty of rape, torture, starvation: UN Investigators

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israel is responsible for genocide in Gaza, urging the international community to stop the violence and prosecute those accountable.

The report follows a two-year investigation into events since October 7, 2023, focusing on Israeli military operations that resulted in unprecedented civilian casualties, the deliberate starvation of the population, the collapse of health and education systems, and violations of the International Court of Justice's binding orders.

Genocide Under Article II: Four Acts Identified

The UN Commission outlined four of the five acts defined as genocide under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute:

I. Killing members of group

Widespread and sustained killings of Palestinian civilians were documented, including strikes on homes, hospitals, and designated "safe zones." Israel’s use of heavy explosive weapons in densely populated areas was found to be knowingly indiscriminate and lethal to civilians, including children.

II. Causing serious bodily or mental harm

The Commission reported over 146,000 injuries, including thousands of amputations and incidents of torture, mistreatment, and sexual and gender-based violence. The trauma from ongoing displacement and deprivation has had particularly severe psychological impacts on children.

III. Inflicting conditions of life intended to destroy

The siege on Gaza included widespread destruction of infrastructure, denial of food, water, fuel, and electricity, and the targeting of medical services. These conditions, affecting especially women and children, were found to be deliberately imposed to cause the physical destruction of Palestinians.

IV. Measures to prevent births

The report documents reproductive violence through denial of maternal healthcare, attacks on pregnant women, and conditions causing miscarriages. These are viewed as part of a systematic effort to destroy Palestinian reproductive capacity.

V. Forcible transfer of children – not established

The Commission did not find sufficient evidence for the fifth act of genocide, forcible transfer of children, during the reviewed period.

Genocidal intent

Chair Navi Pillay stated: “The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza.”

The UN report emphasized that both the actions on the ground and official statements by Israeli authorities demonstrate intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a group, meeting the legal threshold for genocide.