Israel is committing genocide in Gaza says UN Commission

It's the first time a UN body has made the claim publicly.

The report says: "It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza."

Sky News report that the UN body has also said Israel's actions meet the criteria set for defining a genocide. This marks the first time that the allegation has been made publicly by a UN body.

The commission, or more specifically the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, has been studying the conduct of Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7 2023.

They've come to the conclusion that Israel have committed four of the five acts laid out in the Genocide Convention.

They say Israel have been killing Palestinians or forcing Palestinians to live in such inhumane conditions that lead to death.

They say Israel has caused serious bodily or mental harm including torture, displacement, and sexual crimes.

They say Israel has deliberately imposed inhumane conditions on Palestinians.

And they Israel have imposed measures intended to prevent births.

Sky News report that this final claim is due to an attack on an IVF clinic which the UN commission claims destroyed around 4,000 embryos and 1,000 sperm samples.

The report concludes: "Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, have incited the commission of genocide."

Around 65,000 people are believed to have died since October 2023.

The commission says that a majority of these are children, women, and elderly people.