A U. N. report released on Thursday states that both Israeli forces and Hamas, along with other Palestinian armed groups, have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The report describes intensified Israeli attacks and the forced transfer of Palestinians as attempts to create a permanent demographic change, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing.
The report indicates that Hamas’s actions, including holding and mistreating hostages, may constitute war crimes. In response, Israel dismissed the report, asserting that the U. N. human rights office has lost credibility, claiming it engages in a campaign to discredit Israel. Hamas has not responded to the report.
The 17-page report covers events from November 2024 to October 31, 2025, including Hamas’s attack in October 2023, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the capture of more than 250 hostages. The Palestinian health ministry states that Israeli military actions in Gaza have led to more than 72,000 deaths. A ceasefire brokered by the U. S. commenced last October after prolonged conflict that caused extensive damage and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which is still under partial Israeli control.
Conditions in Gaza have deteriorated, with reports of famine and malnutrition linked to Israeli actions. Humanitarian aid distribution efforts supervised by Israel and the U. S. failed to meet needs adequately. The report also notes that Israel is accelerating efforts to annex parts of occupied Palestinian territory through unlawful force.
Hamas is criticized for the killing of Palestinian staff associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, with suggestions that these may amount to war crimes, alongside claims of Hamas using civilians as human shields. The report calls for accountability for violations by both Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
With information from Reuters
