A recent United Nations report condemns Israel for using sexual violence and other attacks as part of a deliberate strategy to subjugate and destroy Palestinian communities in Gaza. The findings, presented by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, label these actions as “genocidal acts,” specifically targeting women’s healthcare services and the reproductive health of Palestinians.
The 49-page document, submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, details the systematic attacks on Gaza’s maternity wards, IVF clinics, and other healthcare facilities. It highlights how these measures, along with restrictions on medical supplies and food, have severely impacted Palestinians’ ability to maintain reproductive health, which the report claims amounts to efforts aimed at destroying a population group.
Israel’s actions are said to fall under two categories of genocidal crimes as defined by international law: imposing living conditions calculated to cause physical destruction, and measures designed to prevent births among Palestinians. Additionally, the report describes the widespread use of sexual violence, including forced nudity, sexual assault, and threats of rape, as part of Israel’s military strategy.
The Commission further asserts that sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians has become a tool of war. This pattern of violence is framed as part of Israel’s broader strategy to destabilize, dominate, and oppress Palestinian people. According to the report, Israel’s leadership, both civilian and military, either ordered or implicitly endorsed these crimes, fostering a climate of impunity.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as unfounded and criticized the UN’s bias, the report notes that Israel’s failure to investigate or prosecute such abuses has allowed this violence to continue unchecked. The report also references a recent court case in which a soldier was sentenced for abuse but stresses that many other incidents remain unpunished.
The commission further emphasizes the disproportionate impact of the conflict on women and girls in Gaza, noting that 33% of the more than 48,000 deaths from Israeli airstrikes were female—significantly higher than in previous conflicts. This is attributed to Israel’s use of heavy explosives in densely populated areas, including residential buildings.
The UN has called for international accountability to ensure justice for the victims of these atrocities, noting that Israel’s failure to comply with the genocide convention and the Rome Statute underscores the need for global intervention to hold perpetrators responsible.
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