UN report accusing Israel of “genocide”, sexual violence and gender-based violence in Gaza
A new UN report says Israel takes sexual and gender-based violence as a strategy in Gaza and has committed “genocide” against Palestinians by systematically undermining women's health care facilities.
In a report released Thursday, the United Nations International Independent International Inquiry Commission studied the widespread damage to the territory, the use of heavy explosives in civilian areas and Israeli attacks on hospitals and health facilities.
The 49-page report found that these three factors lead to “disproportionate violence against women and children.”
“The evidence collected by the Commission shows that violence based on gender and gender is regrettable,” said Navi Pillay, chairman of the committee and former chief of human rights of the United Nations.
“It is impossible to escape the adoption of sexual violence against Palestinians from Israel to intimidate them and to keep the oppressive system an oppressive system that undermines their right to self-determination.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the report's findings were biased and anti-Semitic.
” Rather than focusing on crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Hamas terrorist groups … the United Nations once again chose to attack the State of Israel with false charges,” he said in a statement Thursday.
Palestinian reproductive capacity is destroyed: Report
The report said that Israeli authorities “partially destroyed the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza.”
In a statement issued Thursday at the same time as the report, Pillay said targeting reproductive medical facilities, including through direct attacks on maternal wards and major in vitro fertility clinics in Gaza – coupled with the use of hunger as a method of war – has implications for all aspects of replication, including pregnancy, postpart, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Partirth, Party, Lactum, said.
“These violations not only cause serious physical and psychological harm to women and girls, but also have an irreversible long-term impact on Palestinian mental health and reproductive and fertility prospects,” Pillay said.
A baby girl from Gaza, who was pulled out of her dying mother's womb after an Israeli air strike, grabbed her life and died.
In Roman regulations and genocide practices, the destruction of reproductive capacity is equivalent to two categories of acts of genocide: intentionally causing life conditions, which are calculated to cause physical destruction of the Palestinians; and measures aimed at preventing birth.
The committee said that in addition to the surge in maternal deaths caused by restrictions on access to medical supplies, these actions constitute crimes against human extinction.
The report also accused Israeli security forces of forced public divestment and sexual assault as part of its standard operating procedures to punish Palestinians after the attack on southern Israel in October 2023 by Hamas-led attacks.
According to Gaza health officials, the war in the Gaza Strip killed more than 48,000 Palestinians.
During a series of hearings held at the Geneva Commission this week, the Gaza nurse said only about his protection, saying that Israeli troops kidnapped him and made him publicly deprive him of his underwear. He said he was beaten in his genitals while in prison.
“It's physical abuse, but it's also psychological abuse,” Chris Sidoti said.
IDF says policy “prohibits such misconduct”
The Committee also accused Israeli security forces of committing rape and sexual violence against Palestinian detainees. Israel denies any systematic abuse of prisoners and says it will take action in the event of a violation.
Israel, which disconnected from the Human Rights Council in February, has rejected the allegations.
“ IDF [Israeli Defence Force] Have specific directives…and policies that explicitly prohibit such misconduct.
Palestinian officials say people in Gaza may soon run out of clean drinking water. After Israel cut off electricity supply from Gaza this weekend, the backup generator at a desalination plant in Deir Al-Balah has a capacity of about 30%.
According to the Israeli Sols, a report published in June 2024 accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups of violating serious rights in the 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and caused 251 hostages.
Last March, a team of UN experts said that “sexual violence, including rape,” occurred at several locations during the militant attacks.
The Commission's findings can be used as evidence for the International Criminal Court (ICC) or other agencies trying to prosecute war crimes.
In the statement noted at the committee hearing, Pirey accused Israel of “the lack of the effectiveness of prosecution of cases and convictions of perpetrators” in the military justice system. This sends a clear message to members of the Israeli security forces that they can continue to do such behavior without fear of responsibility, she said. ”
“In this case, the responsibility to pass their domestic laws or exercise universal jurisdiction through the International Criminal Court and the National Court is essential if the rule of law is to be maintained and victims are granted from judicial rulings.”
South Africa filed a genocide case in the International Court of Justice against Israel's actions in Gaza, saying Israel's military operations in Gaza were “genocidal character” and aimed at causing destruction of the Palestinian people on the siege of the territory.
Israel is a political party under the Genocide Convention, which was ordered by the International Court of Justice in January 2024 to prevent genocide during the war against Hamas.
This is not a party to the Roman statute, which gives the International Criminal Court jurisdiction to determine individual criminal cases involving genocide and crimes against humanity.
