The announcement came during the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, where the committee issued its report on the situation in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The report indicated that Israel committed four of the five acts of genocide defined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately destroying the living conditions of Palestinians, and imposing measures to prevent births.
The report also confirmed that the statements and practices of Israeli civilian and military officials indicate that these actions were carried out with the intent of destroying Palestinians, in whole or in part.
The report continued, "Israel, with US support, has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 64,000 Palestinian martyrs and approximately 165,000 wounded, including children and women, in addition to hundreds of deaths due to famine."
The committee held Israel responsible for its failure to prevent this genocide and its failure to hold its perpetrators accountable. It directly accused Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of incitement to genocide, while holding Israeli authorities responsible for their failure to take action to hold the instigators accountable.
The committee called on UN member states to halt the transfer of weapons and equipment used in committing genocide and to take legal action to hold accountable individuals and companies directly or indirectly involved.
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It also called for an end to the policy of starvation and the lifting of the blockade on Gaza, along with facilitating unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. It rejected Israel's distribution of aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is supported by Israel and the United States and is not subject to UN oversight.
In her remarks, Committee Chair Navi Pillay affirmed Israel's responsibility for the genocide in Gaza, noting that Israel intends to destroy Palestinians through actions consistent with the definition of genocide under the international convention, holding senior Israeli officials fully responsible for these crimes.
Pillay warned that the international community's silence amounts to complicity, and that inaction will increase the number of victims and undermine the international community's credibility.
Pillay stressed that all states are legally obligated to use all available means to halt this genocide, affirming that Israel continues to implement destructive strategies despite warnings from the International Court of Justice, UN institutions, and human rights organizations.
In January and March 2024, the International Court of Justice issued provisional measures requiring Israel to provide essential services and medical assistance to Palestinians in Gaza without restrictions.
