UN Report: ’Israel’ Committed ’Genocidal Acts’ in Gaza Strip

By Staff, Agencies

An investigation by a special UN commission has declared that "Israel" perpetrated acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip through the systematic destruction of reproductive health care facilities during its bloody onslaught on the territory. 

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry has reported numerous violations against Palestinians since October 7, 2023, including women, men, girls, and boys.

The statement said that "Israeli" authorities hindered Palestinian reproductive capacity in Gaza, a genocidal act as per international conventions.

The inquiry found that "Israel" engaged in at least two of the five acts classified as genocide by the UN Convention.

Those actions, in addition to a surge in maternity deaths due to restricted access to medical supplies, amounted to the crime against humanity of extermination, the commission said.

"Israel," it said, is “deliberately inflicting conditions of life on the group (Palestinians) calculated to bring about its physical destruction and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group".

The committee chair, Navi Pillay, has stated that violations have caused severe physical and psychological harm to women and girls, as well as long-term irreversible consequences for Palestinian fertility.

The inquiry furthermore found that "Israel" conducted systematic assaults aimed at Gaza's healthcare facilities, specifically hospitals and clinics that offer reproductive health services.

This resulted in the almost complete collapse of the health sector's capacity to provide care for pregnant women and newborns, it said.

The investigation also revealed that shortages of essential medical supplies in Gaza worsened women's reproductive health and increased maternal and newborn mortality rates.

The report criticized "Israeli" forces for using forced public stripping and sexual assault as punishment for Palestinians following the Hamas-led attack in October 2023.