The United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) released two parallel reports on Wednesday, highlighting war crimes committed by both Israel and Hamas in the early stages of the Gaza war. The reports shed light on the immense civilian losses and atrocities that took place during the conflict.
Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks was deemed as constituting crimes against humanity by the COI. The commission found that Israel’s actions resulted in over 1,200 deaths and 250 people being taken hostage. Additionally, the report stated that Israel obstructed the commission’s work and prevented investigators from accessing key locations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
On the other hand, Hamas was also found to have committed war crimes, including torture, murder, outrages upon personal dignity, and inhuman treatment. The COI’s findings were based on interviews with victims and witnesses, satellite imagery, medical reports, and other verified sources of information.
One of the most alarming findings in the report was the use of mass killings in public shelters by Palestinian armed groups. The commission identified a pattern of sexual violence by these groups but could not independently verify reports of rape. The report also highlighted Israel’s use of weapons with large destructive capacities in urban areas, which violated international humanitarian law.
The COI’s report pointed out that both Israel and Hamas disregarded the principles of distinction, proportionality, and adequate precautions during the conflict. The commission stated that the immense civilian casualties and widespread destruction of civilian objects were the result of a deliberate strategy to cause maximum damage.
Israel’s diplomatic mission to the UN in Geneva rejected the findings, claiming that the COI has an anti-Israel bias. However, the COI’s chair, Navi Pillay, emphasized that the commission’s mandate is to collect evidence and identify perpetrators of international crimes committed in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The findings of the COI will be discussed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next week. The reports could potentially serve as a basis for war crimes prosecutions and may be used by the International Criminal Court in future investigations.
The COI’s reports have brought to light the atrocities committed during the Gaza war and underscored the urgent need for accountability and justice for the victims. The international community must take action to ensure that those responsible for war crimes are held accountable and that measures are put in place to prevent such atrocities from happening again in the future.