International Commission: The Zionist Entity Committed Genocide Against Palestinians
A report by an international commission of inquiry has found that the Zionist entity has increasingly used gender-based violence against Palestinians as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination, committing acts of genocide through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive health facilities.
The new report issued by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, documents a wide range of violations against Palestinian women, men, girls, and boys throughout the occupied Palestinian territories since October 7, 2023.
According to the report, these violations are a key part of the mistreatment of Palestinians and constitute elements of illegal occupation and the persecution of Palestinians as a group. The head of the commission, Navi Pillay, stated: “It is unavoidable to conclude that the Zionist entity used sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians to terrorize them and maintain a system of repression that undermines their right to self-determination.”
The release of the report followed two days of public hearings in Geneva on March 11-12, during which the commission heard from victims and witnesses of sexual and reproductive violence, healthcare workers who assisted them, as well as representatives from civil society, academics, lawyers, and medical experts.
The report concluded that gender-based violence—both in frequency and severity—has been perpetrated throughout the occupied Palestinian territories “as a war strategy by the Zionist entity to control and destroy the Palestinian people.” The report also highlighted a climate of impunity for gender-based crimes committed by Zionist settlers in the West Bank, aimed at instilling fear and driving the Palestinian community out.
Navi Pillay noted that “statements and actions justified by Zionist leaders, coupled with the ineffectiveness of the military justice system in prosecuting and convicting perpetrators, sends a clear message to Zionist security forces that they can continue committing such acts without fear of accountability.”
The commission found that Zionist forces systematically destroyed sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities throughout Gaza, while simultaneously imposing a blockade and preventing humanitarian aid, including medicine and equipment necessary to ensure safe pregnancies, childbirth, and postnatal care for newborns.
