A United Nations Commission of Inquiry stated Tuesday that the Israeli government has demonstrated a clear and consistent intent to establish permanent control over the Gaza Strip and to ensure a Jewish majority in the occupied West Bank.
In its newly released report, the Commission provided historical context for Israel’s policies, tracing the roots of land confiscation, forced displacement, discriminatory housing practices, and the expansion of settlements.
The report is expected to be reviewed in upcoming UN forums, including the General Assembly.
The Commission also summarized its legal findings under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, previously published on September 16 during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council.
It concluded that Israeli authorities committed four distinct acts of genocide in Gaza, carried out with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian population in whole or in part.
The report attributes the actions of Israeli leaders, including the President, Prime Minister, and former Defense Minister, to the State of Israel, holding the state responsible for committing genocide, failing to prevent it, and failing to prosecute its perpetrators.
According to the Commission, Israeli forces systematically demolished civilian infrastructure in Gaza’s buffer zones and corridors, expanding their control to cover 75% of the territory by July 2025.
Through the destruction of residential areas and forced displacement of civilians, Israeli authorities deliberately deprived Palestinians of essential resources for survival.
These actions, the report states, imposed harsh living conditions intended to destroy the population, constituting genocide.
Commission Chair Navi Pillay called on Israel to immediately cease its confiscation and use of Palestinian land in Gaza, including the expansion of buffer zones and corridors, and to return all seized property to its rightful Palestinian owners.
West Bank Findings
In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Commission found that Israeli policies and actions since October 2023, including explicit and tacit support for violent settler activity, demonstrate a clear intent to forcibly transfer Palestinians, expand Jewish civilian presence, annex the entire territory, and prevent any possibility of Palestinian self-determination or statehood.
The Commission reiterated that Israeli military operations in refugee camps such as Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, launched in early 2025, have significantly altered the geographic landscape through widespread destruction and displacement.
Chair Navi Pillay expressed grave concern over Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s recent plan to annex 82% of the West Bank and the government’s approval of colonialist expansion in the E1 corridor.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly stated that these measures would ensure the non-establishment of a Palestinian state.
“These developments confirm our findings,” Pillay said, “Israel’s encroachment on the entirety of the West Bank, and the forced displacement of Palestinian communities, have become explicit objectives, proudly declared by Israeli officials. These plans and statements must be unequivocally condemned.”
Sources:
- United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel – Report published September 23, 2025
- UN Human Rights Council – Session 60, Summary on Genocide Convention, published September 16, 2025
- Official press statement by Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission
- Statements by Israeli officials cited in the Commission’s findings
