A U.N. report published on Thursday by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights examined events in Gaza from November 2024 to October 31, 2025. The findings highlight serious violations of international humanitarian law by both Israeli forces and Hamas, as well as other Palestinian armed groups.
The conflict began with Hamas’ October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and led to the abduction of more than 250 hostages. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 72,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Palestinian health ministry. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect last October, yet Israel continues to control more than half of the Gaza Strip, maintaining conditions that the report says are increasingly incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group.
Ethnic Cleansing Concerns and Humanitarian Impact
The report emphasizes that intensified Israeli attacks, systematic neighborhood destruction, and forcible transfers of Palestinians appear to target a permanent demographic shift in Gaza, raising concerns about ethnic cleansing. It notes that famine and malnutrition in Gaza last August directly resulted from Israeli actions and the failure of militarized humanitarian distribution centers, supported by Israel and the U.S., to adequately deliver aid.
Israeli practices in Gaza and the occupied West Bank also reflect efforts to consolidate control over Palestinian territory through unlawful use of force, according to the report. These measures exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and place enormous pressure on Palestinian civilians, many of whom are already displaced or unable to access basic necessities.
Hamas’ Actions and Accountability
The report also examines violations by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. It raises concerns about the killing of 12 Palestinian staff associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last June, the use of civilians as human shields, and the mistreatment of hostages taken in the 2023 attacks. While acknowledging that Hamas’ actions may amount to war crimes, the report stresses that accountability should be applied across all parties.
Analysis: The Humanitarian and Political Stakes
The report underscores a stark asymmetry: while both sides have committed violations, the scale and systemic nature of Israeli actions have had catastrophic effects on Gaza’s civilian population. The conditions created by prolonged occupation, blockades, and military offensives have left millions of Palestinians in a humanitarian crisis, vulnerable to famine, displacement, and violence.
From a pro-Palestinian perspective, the report highlights how Israeli policies and military strategies have not only targeted militants but have severely impacted the civilian population, undermining Palestinians’ rights to safety, livelihood, and self-determination. It also raises concerns that international humanitarian mechanisms have been insufficient in preventing or mitigating these effects, leaving ordinary Gazans disproportionately affected.
The report calls for accountability for all parties, but it implicitly emphasizes the urgent need to address structural imbalances of power, humanitarian access, and the long-term consequences of Israeli policies in Gaza and the West Bank. Moving forward, any sustainable peace or reconstruction effort must prioritize Palestinian protection and rights alongside broader regional stability.
With information from Reuters.
