A new report by a UN commission finds that Israel intended to murder civilians en masse, inflict wide-scale civilian destruction, and collectively punish Palestinians in Gaza — holding them hostage to its political aims.
By Bashir Abu-Manneh, Jacobin
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory issued its “first in-depth investigation into the events that took place on and since 7 October 2023.” The report holds the Israeli occupation responsible for the ongoing catastrophic situation in Gaza. But it also alludes to the possibility that October 7 is a watershed moment for even harsher Israeli occupation unless international law is urgently implemented.
While both Hamas and Israel are found to have committed war crimes (including sexual violence), Israel is also sanctioned for committing “crimes against humanity of extermination, gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys, murder, forcible transfer, and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment.”
In clear and deliberate violation of international law, Israel intended to commit these crimes: to murder civilians en masse, inflict wide-scale civilian destruction, and collectively punish and dehumanize Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinians were murdered. They didn’t die as collateral damage or as unintended victims of Israeli military operations, but as Israel’s deliberate targets.
Recent Posts
Democrats Might Save Mike Johnson’s Push to Give Trump Domestic Spying Power
Take Action Now They’re crossing party lines to renew Section 702 of FISA. Jamie Raskin asks, “What could go wrong with that?”By Matt Sledge, The…
Stop Escalating The War on Iran Now
Take Action Now Trump is threatening to attack Iranian power plants. The Iranian government is threatening to attack oil infrastructure in the gulf…
Cuba Is Prepared to Offer Compensation to Americans Who Lost Property in the 1959 Revolution
Take Action Now Cuba is willing to put the “lump sum” compensation measure on the table in talks with the U.S., a Cuban official told Drop Site.By…
Between the Dragon and His Wrath: A Tale of Two Kents
Take Action Now Joe Kent knew the lie. As the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, he would have known all this better than most. He…