NextFin news, On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, publicly identified six Israeli ministers as responsible for war crimes and genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The commission's report, presented in Geneva, concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces have committed acts with genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The six ministers named include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, among others. The commission cited evidence of multiple genocidal acts since the conflict escalated following Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023. These acts include killing members of the Palestinian group, causing serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.
The commission's 72-page report detailed that the destruction of a fertility clinic in Gaza was among the measures aimed at preventing births, underscoring the genocidal intent. The panel also accused the Israeli ministers of orchestrating a genocidal campaign lasting nearly two years, with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza.
South African jurist Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and chair of the commission, stated, "The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza." The commission also highlighted crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israeli security forces, including extermination, torture, rape, sexual violence, forcible transfer, persecution based on gender, and starvation as a method of warfare.
The commission's findings align with previous warnings from UN experts and the International Association of Genocide Scholars, which in August 2025 passed a resolution stating that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The report is intended to inform international legal bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which are currently examining allegations of genocide and war crimes in the region.
Israel immediately rejected the commission's findings, labeling them "distorted and false" and accusing the panel members of bias. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the commission served as proxies for Hamas. Meanwhile, international reactions have varied, with some leaders and human rights organizations calling the report a significant document for accountability.
The commission also called on all states to cease the transfer of arms and military equipment to Israel, emphasizing the duty under international law to prevent and punish genocide. Despite this, countries such as the United States have continued to approve large arms sales to Israel, including a recent $6.4 billion military equipment deal approved by the Trump administration in September 2025.
The report was released amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the United Nations World Food Program has confirmed widespread famine affecting over half a million people. The commission's findings underscore the severity of the situation and the international legal implications for those responsible.
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