A UN Committee Has Found Israel’s Methods Of Warfare In Gaza Are "Consistent" With Genocide
The report found that Israel is employing starvation as a tactic of warfare, intentionally depriving Palestinians of essential resources such as food, water and fuel.
A UN special committee released a report on Tuesday, Nov. 14, finding that Israel's methods of warfare in Gaza are consistent with the characteristics of genocide.
The report from the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices looked into Israel’s actions against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip, between October 2023 and July 2024 and is scheduled to be presented to the UN General Assembly on Nov. 18.
The report found that Israel is employing starvation as a tactic of warfare, intentionally depriving Palestinians of essential resources such as food, water and fuel, as well as systematically and illegally obstructing humanitarian aid for military objectives.
It said that since the beginning of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the necessities required to sustain life.
“These statements along with the systematic and unlawful interference of humanitarian aid make clear Israel’s intent to instrumentalise life-saving supplies for political and military gains,” it said.
The report said that since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has dropped over 25,000 tons of explosives, equivalent to two nuclear bombs on Gaza, causing massive destruction to people and infrastructure that will impact the future generations of Palestinians.
The committee expressed concerns about Israel's deploying AI-assisted targeting systems, which have led to a disproportionate number of civilians being killed.
“The Israeli military’s use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, combined with heavy bombs, underscores Israel’s disregard of its obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take adequate safeguards to prevent civilian deaths,” the Committee said.
The report also condemned Israel’s attacks against UN workers and facilities, and in particular, the UNRWA, which is considered “the lifeline of aid” for Palestinians in Gaza.
The committee also raised concerns about Israel's methods of silencing the media, especially in Gaza, where Israel has killed at least 188 journalists since Oct. 7.
Israel has also been denying international media access to the Gaza Strip and shutting down the media outlets' offices, obstructing access to information about Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
“This deliberate silencing of reporting, combined with disinformation and attacks on humanitarian workers, is a clear strategy to undermine the vital work of the UN, sever the lifeline of aid still reaching Gaza, and dismantle the international legal order,” it added.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 43,736 Palestinians and injured at least 103,370, mostly women and children while subjecting them to starvation and depriving them of basic human rights.
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Kassy Cho
Kassy Cho
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