Israel-Gaza live updates: ‘Gaza is burning,’ Israel defense minister says
In a controversial report released on Tuesday, the United Nations commission declared that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry, operating under the U.N Human Rights Council, stated in a 72-page report that some statements made by Israeli authorities indicate genocidal intent.
The report went on to say that the pattern of conduct by Israeli authorities led to the conclusion that genocidal intent was the only reasonable inference that could be drawn. The Commission concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces have the genocidal intent to destroy the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, either in whole or in part.
In response to the report, the Israeli Foreign Ministry denounced the findings, labeling the authors as “Hamas proxies.” The ministry claimed that the report relied on falsehoods propagated by Hamas and reiterated by others.
The report was compiled by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, an independent investigative body established by the Human Rights Council in 2021. The findings of the commission are separate from the proceedings at the International Court of Justice, which will ultimately determine Israel’s responsibility under the Genocide Convention.
The report has sparked international debate and condemnation, with various stakeholders weighing in on the implications of the findings. The controversy surrounding the report underscores the ongoing conflict in the region and the complexities of addressing human rights violations in a politically charged environment.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian, Jordana Miller, and Kevin Shalvey
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