A United Nations inquiry into the first few months of the war in Gaza finds that both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes and grave violations of international law. It also states that Israel’s actions in the region constitute crimes against humanity due to immense civilian losses.
The findings made by the International Organizations were based on two parallel reports made by the U.N Commission of Inquiry, one that looked into the Oct.7 attacks and another that studied Israel’s response.
Findings of the Report – Israel and Hamas
The reports released on Wednesday cover events from the inception of the war to the end of 2023, and lays out a wide array of alleged human rights violations and crimes by both Israel and Hamas. In accordance with the report, Israel committed crimes including acts of forced starvation as a means of warfare, and failing to provide essential supplies to Gazans while also acting “to prevent the supply of those necessities by anyone else”. Moreover, willful killing, collective punishment, and intentional attacks on civilians were some among others. Hamas and Palestinian Militant Groups are also accused to have performed deliberate killings and mistreatment of hostages.
Prevalence of Sexual Violence
The report also mentions the frequency, prevalence, and severity of gender based and sexual crimes against Palestinians by the IDF during late last year which amounted to signs that such violence was part of their “operating procedures”. The report also claims that experts had documented “cases indicative of sexual violence” near the site of the music festival, a military outpost, and several kibbutzim that were raided.
Israel on the Reports
Israel responded to the report claiming that it “outrageously and repugnantly attempts to draw a false equivalence between IDF soldiers and Hamas terrorists with regards to acts of sexual violence”, whilst accusing the experts of long enduring claims regarding anti-Israeli discrimination. Moreover, Israel rejected all allegations made by the report, and had also refused to cooperate with the body while accusing it of bias.
Findings by such commissions are often used as the basis for war-crime prosecutions. This evidence could be used by the International Criminal Court, where prosecutors requested the issue of arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu last month.
On Monday, the UN voted positively for a US-backed resolution for a ceasefire deal in Gaza, with Russia abstaining. Hamas has responded to the deal with amendments it would like to see made, while Israel claims that this response is an outright rejection. As both Israel and Hamas show reluctance in providing any major confirmation on Biden’s deal, future prospects regarding the war remain uncertain.
