A UN commission reported that Israel continued committing acts of genocide in Gaza after a ceasefire last October. This report details violations against Palestinian civilians, including children, from the start of the conflict on October 7, 2023, until September of the following year. It accuses Israeli authorities of having the intent to destroy part of the Palestinian population in Gaza and notes a worsening situation in the occupied West Bank. Previous findings from the commission also accused Israel of genocide, claiming that prominent Israeli officials incited these actions, which the Israeli government dismissed as scandalous.
The Israeli mission in Geneva labeled the UN report as a misinformation effort aimed at damaging Israel’s reputation and right to exist. The commission observed that Israeli forces were using heavy weapons in populated areas during the ceasefire, with indications that a ceasefire marking was becoming a de facto border, signaling an increase in Israeli control over Gaza. As a result of Israeli attacks, Palestinian authorities reported over 74,000 deaths after Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Further, the commission described a sharp rise in Palestinian deaths in the West Bank since the war began, identifying Israeli military operations and settler violence as attacks against civilians. It concluded that Israeli authorities committed crimes against humanity, including extermination and sexual violence. The report also criticized the Palestinian Authority for suppressing dissent among Palestinians, resulting in injuries and deaths of journalists and human rights defenders.
With information from Reuters
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