Latest news with #UNIndependentInternationalCommissionofInquiryonthe
Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
UN experts accuse Israel of 'extermination' in Gaza attacks
GENEVA: An independent United Nations commission said on Tuesday Israeli attacks on schools, religious and cultural sites in Gaza amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of seeking to exterminate Palestinians. "Israel has obliterated Gaza's education system and destroyed over half of all religious and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip," the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a report. It accused Israeli forces of committing "war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities that caused civilian casualties. "In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination," the report said. It noted: "While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group." Commission chair Navi Pillay said in a statement accompanying the report: "We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza." "Children in Gaza have lost their childhood," the senior South African judge said. "They are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions." The three-member commission said Israeli attacks "targeted religious sites that served as places of refuge, killing hundreds of people, including women and children". The commission was set up by the UN to investigate violations of humanitarian and human rights law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. In May, UN humanitarian relief chief Tom Fletcher urged the countries of the UN Security Council to take action "to prevent genocide" in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs demanded that Israel lift its aid blockade on Gaza, where the UN says the entire population of more than two million people is at risk of famine. "For those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now?" Fletcher said on May 14. "Will you act — decisively — to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?" The UN commission's report paid special attention to Gaza but also focused on Israeli attacks on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel itself. It said Israel had "done little" to prevent or prosecute Jewish settlers in the West Bank who "intentionally targeted educational facilities and students to terrorise (Palestinian) communities and force them to leave their homes". The report said Israeli authorities had intimidated and, in some cases, detained Israeli and Palestinian teachers and students who "expressed concern or solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza". The panel urged the Israeli government to stop attacking cultural, religious and education institutions, "immediately end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory" and cease all settlement activity. It said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should comply fully with provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. The court has ordered Israel "to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide against people in Gaza" and allow humanitarian aid to get through. It also urged Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, "to cease using civilian objects for military purposes". The commission is to present its findings to the UN Commission on Human Rights on June 17. Meanwhile, more than 300 civil servants at Britain's foreign ministry have written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressing concerns about Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza, the BBC reported on Tuesday. The officials warned of potential UK "complicity" in what they called "Israel's violations of international humanitarian law" during the conflict in the Palestinian territory. The letter dated May 16 questioned the continuation of some UK arms sales to the country, according to the broadcaster. — AFP
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
UN experts accuse Israel of 'extermination' in attacks on Gaza schools, religious sites
An independent United Nations commission said on Tuesday Israeli attacks on schools, religious and cultural sites in Gaza amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of seeking to exterminate Palestinians. "Israel has obliterated Gaza's education system and destroyed over half of all religious and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip," the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a report. It accused Israeli forces of committing "war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities that caused civilian casualties. "In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination," the report said. It noted: "While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group." Commission chair Navi Pillay said in a statement accompanying the report: "We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza." "Children in Gaza have lost their childhood," the senior South African judge said. "They are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions." The three-member commission said Israeli attacks "targeted religious sites that served as places of refuge, killing hundreds of people, including women and children". 'Genocide' warning The commission was set up by the UN to investigate violations of humanitarian and human rights law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. In May, UN humanitarian relief chief Tom Fletcher urged the countries of the UN Security Council to take action "to prevent genocide" in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs demanded that Israel lift its aid blockade on Gaza, where the UN says the entire population of more than two million people is at risk of famine. "For those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now?" Fletcher said on May 14. "Will you act -- decisively -- to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?" The UN commission's report paid special attention to Gaza but also focused on Israeli attacks on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel itself. It said Israel had "done little" to prevent or prosecute Jewish settlers in the West Bank who "intentionally targeted educational facilities and students to terrorise (Palestinian) communities and force them to leave their homes". The report said Israeli authorities had intimidated and, in some cases, detained Israeli and Palestinian teachers and students who "expressed concern or solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza". Call to Israel The panel urged the Israeli government to stop attacking cultural, religious and education institutions, "immediately end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory" and cease all settlement activity. It said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should comply fully with provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. The court has ordered Israel "to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide against people in Gaza" and allow humanitarian aid to get through. It also urged Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, "to cease using civilian objects for military purposes". Hamas fighters launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. In response Israel launched an offensive during which the health ministry in Gaza says at least 54,880 people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed. The UN considers these figures reliable. The commission is to present its findings to the UN Commission on Human Rights on June 17.
The Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Israel committing war crimes by attacking Gaza schools and religious sites, UN experts say
AN INDEPENDENT UNITED Nations commission has said that Israeli attacks on schools, religious and cultural sites in Gaza amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of seeking to exterminate Palestinians. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory was set up to investigate violations of humanitarian and human rights law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. In its latest report, it said that Israel has 'obliterated' Gaza's education system and 'destroyed over half of all religious and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip'. It accused Israeli forces of committing 'war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities that caused civilian casualties'. 'In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination,' the report said. It noted: 'While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group.' In a statement accompanying the report, commission chair Navi Pillay said: 'We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza.' 'Children in Gaza have lost their childhood,' the senior South African judge said. They are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions. The three-member commission said Israeli attacks 'targeted religious sites that served as places of refuge, killing hundreds of people, including women and children'. 'Genocide' warning In May, UN humanitarian relief chief Tom Fletcher urged the countries of the UN Security Council to take action 'to prevent genocide' in Gaza. Advertisement Israel has denied committing genocide. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs demanded that Israel lift its aid blockade on Gaza, where the UN says the entire population of more than two million people is at risk of famine. A Palestinian boy is seen at the Fahmi Al-Jarjawi school after an Israeli airstrike on the school killed 33 Palestinians, including 18 children and six women, on 26 May. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'For those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now?' Fletcher said on 14 May. 'Will you act – decisively – to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?' The UN commission's report paid special attention to Gaza, but also focused on Israeli attacks on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel itself. It said Israel had 'done little' to prevent or prosecute Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank who 'intentionally targeted educational facilities and students to terrorise (Palestinian) communities and force them to leave their homes'. The report said Israeli authorities had intimidated and, in some cases, detained Israeli and Palestinian teachers and students who 'expressed concern or solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza'. Call to Israel In May last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his then defence minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders who have since been killed. Netanyahu and Gallant are accused of a number of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and creating conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza. The State of Israel also stands accused of genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza in a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) brought by South Africa. While the ICC deals with individuals, the ICJ – the top UN court – deals with disputes between states. Both are based in The Hague, Netherlands. The UN panel urged the Israeli government to stop attacking cultural, religious and education institutions, 'immediately end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory' and cease all settlement activity. Related Reads Four killed by Israeli fire near aid point, Palestinians say Israeli forces kill at least 36 Palestinians, says Gaza civil defence agency Gaza's health system 'collapsing' as Israel plans to block access to two major hospitals It said that Netanyahu's government should comply fully with provisional measures ordered by the ICJ. The court has ordered Israel 'to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide against people in Gaza' and allow humanitarian aid to get through. It also urged Hamas 'to cease using civilian objects for military purposes'. Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 54,800 people, the majority of them civilians. The UN considers these figures reliable. The commission is to present its findings to the UN Commission on Human Rights on 17 June. With reporting from © AFP 2025 Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Gaza? Check out our new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
UN experts accuse Israel of 'extermination' in attacks on Gaza schools, religious sites
GENEVA: An independent United Nations commission said on Tuesday Israeli attacks on schools, religious and cultural sites in Gaza amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of seeking to exterminate Palestinians. "Israel has obliterated Gaza's education system and destroyed over half of all religious and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip," the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a report. It accused Israeli forces of committing "war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities that caused civilian casualties. "In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination," the report said. It noted: "While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group." Commission chair Navi Pillay said in a statement accompanying the report: "We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza." "Children in Gaza have lost their childhood," the senior South African judge said. "They are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions." The three-member commission said Israeli attacks "targeted religious sites that served as places of refuge, killing hundreds of people, including women and children." The commission was set up by the UN to investigate violations of humanitarian and human rights law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. In May, UN humanitarian relief chief Tom Fletcher urged the countries of the UN Security Council to take action "to prevent genocide" in Gaza. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs demanded that Israel lift its aid blockade on Gaza, where the UN says the entire population of more than two million people is at risk of famine. "For those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now?" Fletcher said on May 14. "Will you act – decisively – to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?" The UN commission's report paid special attention to Gaza but also focused on Israeli attacks on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel itself. It said Israel had "done little" to prevent or prosecute Jewish settlers in the West Bank who "intentionally targeted educational facilities and students to terrorise (Palestinian) communities and force them to leave their homes." The report said Israeli authorities had intimidated and, in some cases, detained Israeli and Palestinian teachers and students who "expressed concern or solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza." The panel urged the Israeli government to stop attacking cultural, religious and education institutions, "immediately end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory" and cease all settlement activity. It said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should comply fully with provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. The court has ordered Israel "to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide against people in Gaza" and allow humanitarian aid to get through. It also urged Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, "to cease using civilian objects for military purposes." Hamas fighters launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. In response Israel launched an offensive during which the health ministry in Gaza says at least 54,880 people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed. The UN considers these figures reliable. The commission is to present its findings to the UN Commission on Human Rights on June 17.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
UN experts accuse Israel of ‘extermination' in attacks on Gaza schools, religious sites
GENEVA: An independent United Nations commission said on Tuesday Israeli attacks on schools, religious and cultural sites in Gaza amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of seeking to exterminate Palestinians. 'Israel has obliterated Gaza's education system and destroyed over half of all religious and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip,' the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a report. It accused Israeli forces of committing 'war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities that caused civilian casualties. 'In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination,' the report said. It noted: 'While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group.' Commission chair Navi Pillay said in a statement accompanying the report: 'We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza.' 'Children in Gaza have lost their childhood,' the senior South African judge said. 'They are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions.' The three-member commission said Israeli attacks 'targeted religious sites that served as places of refuge, killing hundreds of people, including women and children'. - 'Genocide' warning - The commission was set up by the UN to investigate violations of humanitarian and human rights law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. In May, UN humanitarian relief chief Tom Fletcher urged the countries of the UN Security Council to take action 'to prevent genocide' in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs demanded that Israel lift its aid blockade on Gaza, where the UN says the entire population of more than two million people is at risk of famine. 'For those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now?' Fletcher said on May 14. 'Will you act -- decisively -- to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?' The UN commission's report paid special attention to Gaza but also focused on Israeli attacks on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel itself. It said Israel had 'done little' to prevent or prosecute Jewish settlers in the West Bank who 'intentionally targeted educational facilities and students to terrorise (Palestinian) communities and force them to leave their homes'. The report said Israeli authorities had intimidated and, in some cases, detained Israeli and Palestinian teachers and students who 'expressed concern or solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza'. - Call to Israel - The panel urged the Israeli government to stop attacking cultural, religious and education institutions, 'immediately end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory' and cease all settlement activity. It said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should comply fully with provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. The court has ordered Israel 'to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide against people in Gaza' and allow humanitarian aid to get through. It also urged Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, 'to cease using civilian objects for military purposes'. Hamas fighters launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. In response Israel launched an offensive during which the health ministry in Gaza says at least 54,880 people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed. The UN considers these figures reliable. The commission is to present its findings to the UN Commission on Human Rights on June 17.
