UN panel says Israel's actions in Gaza meet criteria for genocide; Israel rejects claim

A United Nations panel concluded on Tuesday that actions by Israel in Gaza meet the legal criteria for genocide, saying it is "clear there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza," as fresh bombardment drove thousands of families from Gaza City.

The panel, which compared Israeli operations to international law, cited almost 65,000 deaths since Israel began its response to Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, the collapse of sanitary and health-care systems, widespread famine and the destruction of homes and infrastructure. The report said nine out of 10 homes in Gaza have been destroyed and that the vast majority of the territory's roughly three million residents have been forced to flee.

The three-member panel — made up of a South African former UN chief, an Australian human rights lawyer and an Indian expert on housing and land rights — said its findings were reached by evaluating Israeli actions against the Genocide Convention and other international legal standards. The report referenced the scale of civilian casualties, including tens of thousands of women and children, and the degradation of basic services as evidence supporting its conclusion.

Israel's foreign ministry rejected the panel's findings, saying the conclusions were based on "falsehoods." The ministry and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the operations as part of a campaign to destroy Hamas infrastructure and rescue or recover hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that killed about 1,200 people and left 251 people taken hostage.

The report's release came as Israeli forces mounted a renewed aerial and ground offensive in Gaza City. At least 78 people were feared dead in the latest strikes and fighting, the report and Palestinian officials said, including 20 people recovered from beneath collapsed tower blocks. Witnesses described tanks operating on al-Jalaa Street in the center of the city as residents fled through rubble-strewn streets.

Palestinian health authorities and aid groups reported mounting civilian suffering, with hundreds of thousands of people concentrated in tent settlements and makeshift shelters. The panel said the combination of sustained bombardment, impeded aid flows, collapsed health services and scarce clean water and food had produced conditions amounting to famine in parts of Gaza.

Palestinian and international groups also reported that a children's hospital was struck in a drone attack; the IDF disputed some details of those accounts. An Israeli military official said the number of troops involved in the Gaza City operation would increase in coming days to confront as many as 3,000 fighters it says remain in the enclave. Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir told troops to "intensify the blows against Hamas" and described destroying the group as the mission's central objective.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on social media that "Gaza is burning. We will not relent or turn back until the mission is complete," a message that government supporters said reflected determination to continue operations despite international criticism.

Diplomatic reactions were swift. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called the offensive "utterly reckless and appalling," saying it would "only bring more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians and endanger the remaining hostages." Britain said it was providing medical treatment to dozens of badly wounded Palestinian children airlifted to UK hospitals; officials said between 30 and 50 patients had been admitted. The United States continued to express support for Israel, and the presence of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem during the offensive was widely interpreted as signaling White House backing.

Some 48 hostages remain held in Gaza, Palestinian and Israeli sources said; of those, about 20 are believed to be still alive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out a negotiated two-state outcome, a position at odds with continued calls by the UK and other countries for a political resolution that would create an independent Palestinian state.

The U.N. panel's finding intensifies international scrutiny of the conduct of hostilities and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Legal experts and diplomats said the report could influence calls for investigations and affect diplomatic relations, but any legal or political measures would depend on further actions by U.N. bodies, member states and international courts.

Israel's rejection of the report and its continuation of military operations underscore the sharp divisions among governments and international institutions over how to respond. Aid groups warn that, even as assessments and diplomatic exchanges proceed, civilians trapped in Gaza continue to endure the immediate consequences of conflict: death, displacement, and critical shortages of food, water and medical care.