Israeli War Crimes in Gaza: UN Report Highlights Disturbing Facts
In a striking denunciation, an independent United Nations commission declared on Tuesday that Israel’s military actions against schools, as well as religious and cultural sites in Gaza, amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to the report from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, these assaults appear aimed at obliterating the Palestinian population. ‘Israel has not only decimated Gaza’s educational framework but has also inflicted damage on over half of the significant religious and cultural sites across the Gaza Strip,’ the report stated.
The commission accused Israeli forces of committing various war crimes, explicitly highlighting the targeting of civilian areas and premeditated killings in strikes on educational institutions, which resulted in significant civilian casualties. The report asserted, ‘By killing civilians seeking refuge in schools and religious venues, Israeli security personnel have perpetrated a crime against humanity through extermination.’ Furthermore, while acknowledging that the destruction of cultural properties does not automatically constitute genocide, it noted that such actions may nonetheless reveal a genocidal intent towards a protected demographic.
Call for Immediate Action
Additionally, the commission urged the Israeli government to cease its attacks on cultural, religious, and educational institutions immediately. It underscored the necessity for Israel to ‘end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory,’ halt all settlement expansions, and adhere fully to the provisional measures set forth by the International Court of Justice. In an earlier directive from January 2024, the court had mandated Israel to undertake all necessary steps ‘to prevent and penalize direct and public incitement to commit genocide against the people in Gaza’ and to ensure that vital services and humanitarian assistance are permitted to reach those in dire need.
While the report concentrated on the harrowing conditions within Gaza, it also extended its focus to Israeli military actions impacting civilians in other occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and within Israel itself. The comprehensive nature of the report highlights a broader pattern of violence and underscores the urgent need for international attention and action to address these significant human rights violations.
