In 1995 President Nelson Mandela of South Africa asked me to serve as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The judicial panel over which I presided convicted three Rwandans of genocide. So I understand the word "genocide," and it is not one I use lightly. It is the deliberate attempt to destroy, in whole or in part, a people.
Today the United Nations commission that I lead is publishing its legal analysis of Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip. Our conclusion is stark: Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The finding is based on evidence covering the period from Oct. 7, 2023, when the war began, to July 31, 2025, and is assessed under the U.N. Genocide Convention of 1948, to which Israel is a party.
The scale of destruction is devastating. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 18,000 children and nearly 10,000 women, according to Gazan health officials. Estimated life expectancy in Gaza has collapsed from 75 years to just over 40 in a single year. Hospitals, schools, churches, mosques and entire neighborhoods have been destroyed. The commission found that starvation has been used as a weapon of war and that the medical system has been deliberately destroyed.
Establishing genocide requires both the act and the intent. The commission says the evidence shows intent, pointing to statements by senior Israeli leaders, including the president, the prime minister and the former defense minister, who have dehumanized Palestinians. Their words, the commission argues, have been matched by deeds, including indiscriminate bombardment, blocking of humanitarian aid and a siege designed to starve the population. The commission also found that hundreds of Palestinians, including children, have been shot while seeking aid at sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing