Israel has rejected a U.N. report accusing it of committing “genocidal acts” in Gaza, including the destruction of women’s health-care facilities and the use of sexual violence as a war strategy.
Jerusalem’s permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva called the allegations unfounded, biased and lacking credibility.
The U.N. commission claimed that Israel’s actions led to a surge in maternity deaths and amounted to the crime of extermination, Reuters reported on Thursday.
It also accused Israeli forces of employing forced public stripping and sexual assault, mirroring crimes that Hamas and Palestinian terrorists perpetrated in Jewish communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel forcefully denied these accusations.
The Israel Defense Forces has “concrete directives” and “policies which unequivocally prohibit such misconduct,” stated Israel’s U.N. mission, emphasizing that its internal review processes align with international standards.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the U.N.'s Human Rights Council as an “antisemitic, corrupt, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body,” emphasizing that Israel’s withdrawal from the council was deliberate.
He accused the United Nations of deflecting from Hamas’s war crimes and instead making false accusations against Israel, particularly highlighting the baseless claims of sexual violence. As such, Netanyahu proclaimed, “This is not the Human Rights Council. This is the Council of Blood Rights.”
National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz also denounced the report, calling it “deceitfully false” and a new low for the world body. He criticized it for peddling antisemitic libels and failing to acknowledge the true meaning of “genocidal acts” and “sexual violence” by referring to the victims of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
Gantz emphasized the moral asymmetry between Israel and Hamas, urging the United Nations to stop creating false equivalence.
Cochav Elkayam-Levy, chair of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children, condemned the report for trying to equate Israel with Hamas, particularly regarding sexual violence. She argued that the U.N.'s actions have been part of a broader pattern of false narratives since Oct. 7, which harm both the victims and justice. She called for an end to such conduct and stressed the importance of acknowledging the truth and ensuring accountability.
The Hamas terror group expressed support for the report. Its spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, told AFP: “The U.N. investigation into Israel’s genocidal actions against the Palestinian people validates what has occurred on the ground—genocide and violations of all humanitarian and legal standards.”
