In a major bombshell, the UN independent Commission of Inquiry (COI) has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Headed by former International Criminal Court judge Navi Pillay, the COI’s 72-page report states bluntly: “Genocide is occurring in Gaza.” 😢
Since the war erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, nearly 65,000 people have died in Gaza, and most residents have been displaced at least once. The UN has even declared a full-blown famine in Gaza City as Israel ramps up its offensive.
The commission finds that Israeli authorities at the highest levels have orchestrated a campaign with “specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza.” Four of the five genocidal acts listed in the 1948 Genocide Convention are confirmed: killing members of the group, inflicting serious bodily or mental harm, creating life-destroying conditions, and imposing measures to prevent births.
Top officials named include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The report highlights a November 2023 letter from Netanyahu likening the Gaza operation to a “holy war of total annihilation” drawn from the Hebrew Bible, concluding this rhetoric fueled genocidal intent.
Israel has “categorically rejected” the COI’s findings, calling the report “distorted and false.” But Pillay warns that the international community’s silence “amounts to complicity.”
Although the UN itself hasn’t officially labeled the situation genocide, its aid chief urged leaders in May to “act decisively to prevent genocide,” and the rights chief denounced what she called “genocidal rhetoric.” Back in January 2023, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to avert acts of genocide, and the International Criminal Court later issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on war-crimes charges.
As Gaza endures a humanitarian catastrophe, this report amps up global calls for accountability and an urgent ceasefire. 🌍✊
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
