In 1995, South Africa’s then-President Nelson Mandela appointed me as a judge to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. As chair of the judicial panel, we convicted three individuals for genocide. This experience has given me a profound understanding of the term "genocide," which denotes the intentional effort to annihilate, entirely or partially, a group of people. It represents one of the most serious violations of humanity and a grave breach of international law.
The United Nations commission I currently lead has published a thorough legal review of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Our conclusion is unequivocal: Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza. This determination is grounded in detailed investigations and substantial evidence covering the period from October 7, 2023, when hostilities began, through July 31, 2025. Multiple sources have corroborated these findings, which were rigorously evaluated under the U.N. Genocide Convention of 1948, to which Israel is a signatory.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established by the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2021, carries out this work. The commission is composed of appointed experts and supported by staff from the U.N. secretariat. Its reports are submitted to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.
The extent of devastation in Gaza is overwhelming. According to health officials in Gaza, over 64,000 Palestinians have died, including more than 18,000 children and nearly 10,000 women. Life expectancy has plummeted from 75 years to just above 40 within a single year, marking one of the most dramatic declines ever recorded. Hospitals, schools, places of worship, and entire neighborhoods have been obliterated. Our investigation revealed that starvation has been systematically used as a weapon of war and that the healthcare infrastructure has been intentionally destroyed. Maternal health services have been critically impaired. Children have suffered from starvation, gunfire, and entrapment beneath rubble. UNICEF reports that one child has died every hour in Gaza. These are not incidental wartime casualties but deliberate actions aimed at the destruction of a people.
Proving genocide necessitates demonstrating both the act and the intent behind it. The evidence for intent is compelling. Senior Israeli officials, including the president, prime minister, and former defense minister, have publicly dehumanized Palestinians. For example, the defense minister at the time of the October 7 attacks described Palestinians as "human animals," while the president asserted collective responsibility of the entire Palestinian population. These statements have been followed by actions such as indiscriminate bombardment rendering Gaza unlivable, obstruction of humanitarian aid, sexual and gender-based violence, and a siege designed to starve the population. Together, these form a clear pattern indicating genocidal intent.
The commission also documented that Palestinians attempting to obtain food at distribution centers managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation—a body supported by Israel and the United States which largely replaced prior aid networks—have been targeted and killed. Hundreds, including children, have been shot while trying to access humanitarian assistance.
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