The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released a report on March 13, 2025, that accuses Israel of deliberately targeting hospitals and health facilities in Gaza, specifically those that offer reproductive services. Among these is the Al Basma I.V.F. Center, Gaza's primary fertility clinic, which sustained damage from an Israeli shell during the ongoing conflict. The commission characterizes Israel's approach as an intentional strategy to hinder Palestinian births, an assertion it labels as "genocidal acts."
In the wake of the commission's findings, Israel formally rebuffed the claims, labeling the report as "biased" and an attempt to tarnish the reputation of its military operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the U.N. Human Rights Council for pushing forth "false accusations" against his country.
The commission, which has been operational since its establishment by the Human Rights Council in 2021, based its conclusions on previous investigations following the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals. They conducted around 25 interviews with medical professionals, victims, and witnesses to gather insights into the humanitarian impact of the ongoing violence.
In a groundbreaking assertion, this report marks the first time a U.N. committee has classified Israel’s actions as genocidal under both the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention. The commission pointedly highlighted that Israeli authorities have systematically affected the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza as a collective group, emphasizing measures purportedly aimed at preventing births.
As global reactions to the report unfold, the implications for international relations and accountability regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict remain uncertain, igniting discussions on the necessity for immediate attention to the reported human rights violations in the region.
In the wake of the commission's findings, Israel formally rebuffed the claims, labeling the report as "biased" and an attempt to tarnish the reputation of its military operations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the U.N. Human Rights Council for pushing forth "false accusations" against his country.
The commission, which has been operational since its establishment by the Human Rights Council in 2021, based its conclusions on previous investigations following the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals. They conducted around 25 interviews with medical professionals, victims, and witnesses to gather insights into the humanitarian impact of the ongoing violence.
In a groundbreaking assertion, this report marks the first time a U.N. committee has classified Israel’s actions as genocidal under both the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention. The commission pointedly highlighted that Israeli authorities have systematically affected the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza as a collective group, emphasizing measures purportedly aimed at preventing births.
As global reactions to the report unfold, the implications for international relations and accountability regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict remain uncertain, igniting discussions on the necessity for immediate attention to the reported human rights violations in the region.
