On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry released a pivotal report, asserting that Israel has perpetrated acts of genocide in Gaza and that high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, bear responsibility for inciting these atrocities. The commission’s findings are supported by compelling evidence, including the widespread killings, severe restrictions on humanitarian aid, forced displacement of populations, and the deliberate destruction of a fertility clinic. This aligns with similar conclusions drawn by various human rights organizations and other international bodies.
Navi Pillay, who leads the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and previously served as an International Criminal Court judge, unequivocally stated, ‘Genocide is occurring in Gaza.’ Pillay further elaborated that ‘the responsibility for these atrocity crimes rests with the highest levels of Israeli authority, who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign over nearly two years with the explicit aim of destroying the Palestinian population in Gaza.’ Israel has consistently refused to cooperate with the commission, with its diplomatic mission in Geneva alleging that the inquiry operates with a political bias against the nation.
This 72-page legal analysis by the commission represents the most robust UN-affiliated finding on the matter thus far. However, as an independent body, its conclusions do not officially represent the United Nations itself, which has yet to formally adopt the term ‘genocide’ but is facing increasing calls to do so. Israel is currently defending against a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The nation refutes these allegations, asserting its actions are self-defense in response to the devastating Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which claimed 1,200 lives and involved 251 hostages, according to Israeli statistics. In response to the report’s release, Israel vehemently rejected it as ‘distorted and false,’ demanding the immediate disbandment of the Commission of Inquiry. The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to the deaths of over 64,000 people, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry. Furthermore, global hunger monitors indicate that portions of the territory are now experiencing famine conditions.
The 1948 UN Genocide Convention, established after the Holocaust, defines genocide as ‘crimes committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such.’ For an act to be classified as genocide, at least one of five specific conditions must be met. The UN commission determined that Israel has committed four of these acts: widespread killing, causing severe physical or psychological harm, intentionally imposing living conditions designed to bring about the destruction of Palestinians (in whole or in part), and implementing measures aimed at preventing births. This evidence was gathered through interviews with victims, witnesses, and medical personnel, along with verified open-source documents and satellite imagery analysis conducted since the beginning of the conflict.
Dehumanization as a Tactic
The commission also concluded that statements made by Mr. Netanyahu and other officials directly demonstrate ‘genocidal intent.’ One key piece of evidence cited is a letter from November 2023, where Netanyahu reportedly likened the Gaza operation to a ‘holy war of total annihilation’ as described in the Hebrew Bible. Additionally, the report specifically names Israeli President Isaac Herzog and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. Navi Pillay, who previously led a UN tribunal for Rwanda, where over a million lives were lost in 1994, drew parallels between the two situations. She remarked, ‘When I examine the facts in the Rwandan genocide, it is strikingly similar. You dehumanize your victims, labeling them as animals, which then allows you to kill them without conscience.’ Pillay, who is set to retire in November, expressed hope that ‘as a result of our report, the perspectives of nations will also be broadened.’