International Commission Report: Israeli Actions Constitute Genocide Against Palestinians

Geneva – A recent report by an international commission has concluded that Israel has committed acts of genocide against Palestinians in the occupied territories, employing increasing gender-based violence as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination. The report highlights the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive health facilities as a key aspect of this genocide.

The findings were released by the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. The report documents a wide range of violations against Palestinian women, men, girls, and boys since October 7, 2023.

According to the report, these violations are integral to the mistreatment of Palestinians and are part of the ongoing illegal occupation and persecution of Palestinians as a group. Navi Pillay, chair of the commission, stated, “It is undeniable that Israel has used sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians to terrorize them and perpetuate a system of oppression that undermines their right to self-determination.”

The release of the report followed two days of public hearings held in Geneva on March 11-12, where the commission listened to testimonies from victims and witnesses of sexual and reproductive violence, as well as healthcare workers who aided them. Representatives from civil society, academics, lawyers, and medical experts also contributed to the hearings.

The report concludes that the escalation and intensity of gender-based violence are being used throughout the occupied Palestinian territories as a “war strategy” by Israel to control and destroy the Palestinian people.

Additionally, the report indicates a prevailing climate of impunity regarding gender-based crimes committed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, aimed at instilling fear within the Palestinian community and driving them out. Pillay remarked that the “justifications provided by Israeli leaders, combined with the ineffectiveness of the military justice system to prosecute and convict offenders, sends a clear message to Israeli security forces that they can continue to commit such acts without fear of accountability.”

The commission found that Israeli forces have systematically destroyed sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities across Gaza while simultaneously imposing a blockade that prevents humanitarian aid, including essential medications and equipment necessary for safe pregnancies, childbirth, and postnatal care.

Moreover, the report asserts that Israeli authorities have partially dismantled the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza as a group through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare, constituting two categories of genocide under the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention.