Israel Rejects UN Commission Report Accusing It of Genocide in Gaza

JERUSALEM, Sep 17: Israel has fiercely rejected a new United Nations Commission report accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza under the 1948 Genocide Convention, dismissing the findings as “false, biased, and politically motivated.”

The UN inquiry singled out President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as responsible for inciting violence against Palestinians. The report sparked outrage in Jerusalem, with officials branding it a “modern-day blood libel” and calling for the immediate dissolution of the Commission.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused the panel of echoing “Hamas propaganda,” stating: “The report relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods, laundered and repeated by others. These fabrications have already been debunked, including in an independent study by BESA.”

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana mocked the UN, saying it had become “a despicable institution where truth is a lie and a lie is truth.” President Herzog also dismissed the findings, telling CNN the accusations lacked legitimacy “so total that being named in their report is itself an endorsement of our fight for human rights.”

The Palestinian Health Ministry claims nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with most casualties reported as women and children. The figures, however, do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Israel’s international standing has suffered in recent weeks, particularly after its September 9 missile strike in Qatar, which drew rare condemnation even from allies such as India, Egypt, the UK, Germany, and the UAE.

The backlash culminated in the New York Declaration at the UN General Assembly on September 12, where 142 countries endorsed a two-state solution. Israel rejected the resolution as “hollow theater,” while the US and a handful of other nations voted against it.