A United Nations report has accused Israel security forces of committing "genocidal acts" against Palestinians in Gaza. However, Israel has dismissed the report as "unfounded, biased and lacking credibility".
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory alleged that Israel destroyed the reproductive capacity of Palestinians by preventing births. This is considered a genocidal act under the Rome Statute, which covers genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression as well as the Genocide Convention, an international treaty that criminalises genocide.
🔴 BREAKING: A UN probe finds Israel carried out genocidal acts by destroying Gaza’s fertility centre, imposing a siege, and blocking aid. Israel rejects the claims. pic.twitter.com/ABvr7H0byQ
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 13, 2025
The report claimed that Israel intentionally destroyed Gaza's main fertility centre besides denying medications for safe pregnancies and childbirth as well as proper care for newborns.
It also alleged that Israel security forces forced women to publicly strip and sexually assaulted them during the war triggered by Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
However, Israel has slammed the UN panel, accusing it as a "shameless attempt" to slander its military. "The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has concrete directives… and policies which unequivocally prohibit such misconduct,” said Tel Aviv's permanent mission to the UN in Geneva in response to the commission.
On the other hand, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict said last year that the Hamas militants had allegedly raped Israelis during the October 7 attack. It alleged that victims were subjected to other form of sexual violence as well.
One of the Israeli hostages freed by Hamas has revealed that the militants raped her multiple times during captivity.
