The UN Special Committee investigating Israeli practices in Gaza released a new report on Thursday, stating that Israel’s military actions in the region align with the characteristics of genocide. The report highlights the mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions deliberately imposed on Palestinians as part of Israel's warfare tactics.
“Since the beginning of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the very necessities required to sustain life — food, water, and fuel,” the Committee said.
“These statements along with the systematic and unlawful interference of humanitarian aid make clear Israel’s intent to instrumentalise life-saving supplies for political and military gains,” the Committee added.
The report, covering the period from October 2023 to July 2024, reviews developments across the occupied Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan. However, it primarily focuses on the devastating impact of the ongoing war in Gaza on the rights of Palestinians, according to a UN statement issued in Geneva.
“Through its siege over Gaza, obstruction of humanitarian aid, alongside targeted attacks and killing of civilians and aid workers, despite repeated UN appeals, binding orders from the International Court of Justice and resolutions of the Security Council, Israel is intentionally causing death, starvation and serious injury, using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population,” the Committee said.
The report details how Israel's widespread bombing campaign in Gaza has destroyed vital services and triggered an environmental disaster, the effects of which are expected to have long-term health consequences.
By early 2024, more than 25,000 tons of explosives—equivalent to the destructive power of two nuclear bombs—had been unleashed on Gaza, resulting in widespread devastation. The bombing campaign caused the collapse of essential water and sanitation systems, destroyed agricultural infrastructure, and led to severe toxic pollution.
“By destroying vital water, sanitation and food systems, and contaminating the environment, Israel has created a lethal mix of crises that will inflict severe harm on generations to come,” the Committee emphasized.
The report expresses grave concerns over Israel's use of AI-enhanced targeting systems in its military operations, highlighting their devastating impact on civilians. The findings emphasize the disproportionate number of women and children among the casualties, underscoring the civilian toll of these advanced technologies.
“The Israeli military’s use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, combined with heavy bombs, underscores Israel’s disregard of its obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take adequate safeguards to prevent civilian deaths,” the Committee said.
Amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, the Committee found that Israel’s increasing media censorship, suppression of dissent, and targeting of journalists are intentional measures to restrict global access to vital information.
The report also highlighted how social media platforms have disproportionately removed "pro-Palestinian content" while allowing posts that incite violence against Palestinians to remain.
The Committee condemned the ongoing smear campaign and other attacks targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the UN as a whole.
“This deliberate silencing of reporting, combined with disinformation and attacks on humanitarian workers, is a clear strategy to undermine the vital work of the UN, sever the lifeline of aid still reaching Gaza, and dismantle the international legal order,” the Committee mentioned.
The Committee urged all Member States to fulfill their legal obligations to prevent and halt Israel’s violations of international law and to ensure accountability for these actions.
“It is the collective responsibility of every State to stop supporting the assault on Gaza and the apartheid system in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” the Committee concluded.
BD-Pratidin English/Mazdud
