The American Human Rights Council (AHRC) joins all peace- and justice-loving people in welcoming the findings of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. In its newly released 72-page report, the Commission concluded that Israel has committed and continues to commit acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
This report, considered the most authoritative UN assessment to date, stems from an ongoing, independent investigation launched by the Human Rights Council in 2021. The Commission determined that Israel has committed four of the five genocidal acts defined under the 1948 Genocide Convention since initiating its military campaign in Gaza on October 7, 2023. These acts include:
According to the report, over 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, with thousands more missing or trapped under rubble. More than 100,000 have been injured, many with life-altering disabilities, including a high rate of amputations among children and youth.
The Commission documents Israel’s systematic targeting of civilians, residential areas, schools, hospitals, journalists, rescue workers, and healthcare personnel. It also highlights the weaponization of essential resources—such as food, water, and medical aid—as part of a deliberate strategy to destroy Palestinian society.
These findings build upon the UN’s August 2025 declaration of famine in Gaza, based on data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which revealed extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and widespread starvation.
The Commission’s conclusion places a moral and legal imperative on the United Nations and the international community to act swiftly to end the genocide and hold Israeli leadership accountable. Despite mounting evidence, Israel continues to reject the findings, deny responsibility, and operate in defiance of international law.
The genocide must be stopped by all means necessary. AHRC calls for urgent global action to end the genocide and for building a new order founded on peace and justice.
