The United Nations Special Committee that investigated Israeli practices against rights of Palestinians and other Arabs of occupied territories, in its report, found Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza consistent with genocide, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
However, the United States disagreed with the UN committee’s findings.
The United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1968 to examine the human rights situation in the occupied Syrian Golan, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
The report, released on Thursday, says that there were mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians in Gaza by Israel.
Since the beginning of the war, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies that strip Palestinians of the very necessities required to sustain life — food, water, and fuel,” the committee said. “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.”
Covering the period from October 2023 to July 2024, the report examines developments across the occupied Palestinian territory and the occupied Syrian Golan but focuses on the catastrophic impact of the current war in Gaza on the rights of Palestinians.
“Through its siege over Gaza, obstruction of humanitarian aid, alongside targeted attacks and killing of civilians and aid workers, despite repeated UN appeals, binding orders from the International Court of Justice and resolutions of the Security Council, Israel is intentionally causing death, starvation and serious injury, using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population,” the committee said.
By early 2024, over 25,000 tons of explosives—equivalent to two nuclear bombs—had been dropped on Gaza, causing massive destruction and the collapse of water and sanitation systems, agricultural devastation, and toxic pollution.
“By destroying vital water, sanitation and food systems, and contaminating the environment, Israel has created a lethal mix of crises that will inflict severe harm on generations to come,” the committee said.
The committee condemned the ongoing smear campaign and other attacks against UNRWA and the UN at large.
‘Crime against humanity’
On its part, the Human Rights Watch report said Israel’s displacement of Gazans amounts to a “crime against humanity”.
HRW said, “Statements by senior officials with command responsibility show that forced displacement is intentional and forms part of Israeli state policy and therefore amounts to a crime against humanity.
“Given the evidence strongly indicates that multiple acts of forced displacement were carried out with intent, it amounts to war crimes”.
Nadia Hardman, an HRW researcher, said the 172-page report’s findings were based on interviews with displaced Gazans, satellite imagery, and public reporting conducted until August.
HRW encouraged the International Criminal Court prosecutor to “investigate”. Israel dismisses the HRW report.
“Time and again, Human Rights Watch’s rhetoric regarding Israel’s conduct in Gaza is completely false and detached from reality,” foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said on X.
The Israeli Army accused HRW of “anti-Israel bias” and of making “certain blatant misrepresentations” in a statement.
According to the United Nations, 1.9 million Palestinians were displaced in Gaza as of October 2024. Before the start of the war on October 7, 2023, the territory’s official population was 2.4 million inhabitants.
No genocide in Gaza – US
The United States said it disagreed both with a UN committee’s finding that Israeli warfare methods were consistent with “genocide” and an HRW allegation of “crimes against humanity” in Gaza.
The United Nations Special Committee’s report, which accused Israel of using starvation as a war tactic, “Is something we would unequivocally disagree with,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said.
‘Only US can stop Israel’
Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru, who served in Brazil, Angola, the US, Poland, Ivory Coast, Austria, Sudan and Pakistan, agreed with the findings in the reports.
“We have been watching what has been going on. There is no doubt about it, Israel with the backing of the United States, has committed indictable offences against the Palestinians.
“In a normal situation or a normal world, the Israeli leader should have been arrested and jailed for human rights violations, killing of innocent people – women and children, making starvation a weapon and destroying everything of livelihood in Gaza,” said.
Speaking about the way forward, the former diplomat said the backing of the US is making things harder for other countries that would have stepped in to stop the carnage in Gaza.
The ICJ issued provisional measures, ordering Israel to take all necessary actions to prevent acts of genocide.
Several countries, including Ireland, Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Turkey, Chile, and Libya, had expressed support for South Africa’s case and have contributed to the proceedings.
The case is ongoing, with South Africa recently submitting a detailed memorial to the ICJ, supported by extensive evidence. The ICJ continues to review the case, and further hearings and decisions are expected in the coming months.
However, Amb. Dahiru expressed regrets that the ICJ does not have the power to enforce its judgments.
