UN probe accuses Israel of crimes against humanity

Israeli authorities are responsible for “war crimes and crimes against humanity” perpetrated during the military operations and attacks in Gaza since October 7, according to a new report by a UN-backed commission released on Wednesday.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry discovered that Israeli authorities are responsible for “the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare, murder or willful killing, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, forcible transfer, sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment, arbitrary detention and outrages upon personal dignity.”

The commission likewise determined that “the crimes against humanity of extermination, gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys, murder, forcible transfer, and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment” were committed.

The extensive civilian deaths and widespread destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure in Gaza were deemed “the inevitable result of a strategy undertaken with the intent to cause maximum damage, disregarding the principles of distinction, proportionality, and adequate precautions.”

The intentional use of heavy weapons with large destructive capacity in densely populated areas was noted as “an intentional and direct attack on the civilian population.”

Concerning remarks made by Israeli officials, the report revealed that these remarks “amounted to incitement and may constitute other serious international crimes,” noting that direct and public incitement to genocide is a crime under international law whenever perpetrated.

The commission also evaluated Israeli evacuation orders, describing them as “insufficient, unclear and conflicting, and did not provide adequate time for safe evacuations.” It further noted that evacuation routes and areas designated as safe were consistently attacked by Israeli forces, amounting to forcible transfer.

The report emphasised Israel’s imposition of a “total siege,” which it described as collective punishment against the civilian population. The commission stated that Israeli authorities weaponized the siege by cutting off water, food, electricity, fuel, and humanitarian assistance for strategic and political gains.

The siege has “disproportionately impacted” pregnant women and persons with disabilities, causing serious harm to children and leading to preventable child deaths from starvation, including newborns.

In the West Bank, the commission found that Israel committed “acts of sexual violence, torture and inhuman or cruel treatment and outrages upon personal dignity, all of which are war crimes.”

Furthermore, the commission concluded that the Israeli government and military “permitted, fostered, and instigated” a pattern of settler aggression against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.