
Israel accused of ‘genocidal acts’ against Palestinians in new UN report
By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)
- A United Nations report accuses Israeli armed forces of committing crimes of “sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians” in Gaza and the West Bank since the war against Hamas began in 2023. The U.N. Human Rights Council’s findings also accuse Israeli troops of “genocidal acts” during the conflict.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the report in a statement, refuting the findings and calling the council an “antisemitic, rotten, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body.”
- The report comes more than a year after a U.N. official with expertise in sexual violence published a document accusing Hamas of similar crimes.
Full Story
A United Nations report has accused Israeli armed forces of committing crimes of “sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians” in Gaza and the West Bank since the war against Hamas began in 2023.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- A United Nations report states that Israel has committed "genocidal acts" against Palestinians, including destroying health care facilities to prevent births and using sexual violence as a war strategy.
- The report cites systematic attacks on women's health care facilities, leading to increased maternal deaths and limited access to essential health care services for women and children.
- Israeli security forces are accused of employing sexual violence, including forced public stripping, and intentionally causing conditions that threaten the lives of Palestinians.
- Israel's Permanent Mission to the U.N. called the report unfounded, asserting that the allegations lack basis and bias against the state.
- A U.N.-backed investigation found that Israel has committed "genocidal acts" in Gaza, including the destruction of reproductive health care facilities.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the U.N.'s allegations, calling them biased and antisemitic.
- The Commission's chair, Navi Pillay, reported an increase in sexual and gender-based violence used against Palestinians.
- The findings may lead to potential prosecution for war crimes against Israel, as South Africa has brought a case to the International Court of Justice.
- United Nations-backed human rights experts accused Israel of systemic sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians during the war with Hamas, according to a report released on Thursday.
- The report details significant violations against Palestinian individuals, including accusations of rape by Israeli security forces, and was presented to help ensure accountability.
- Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, dismissed the allegations as baseless and anti-Israel, calling the United Nations Human Rights Council an "antisemitic and corrupt" body.
- The report suggested that sexual violence is part of the Israeli Defense Forces' standard operating procedures towards Palestinians, condemning Israel's conduct in the conflict.
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What does the report say?
The U.N. Human Rights Council’s findings also accuse Israeli troops of “genocidal acts” during the conflict. The agency cited what it deems the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive health care facilities, including maternity wards and Gaza’s main in vitro fertility center, with tank shelling and destroying some 4,000 embryos.

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How is Israel responding?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the report in a statement, refuting the findings and calling the council an “antisemitic, rotten, terrorist-supporting and irrelevant body.”
The statement read in part, “The U.N. is once again choosing to attack the state of Israel with false accusations, including unfounded accusations of sexual violence.”
What about Hamas?
The report comes more than a year after a U.N. official with expertise in sexual violence published a document accusing Hamas of similar crimes. It noted that there is “reasonable ground to believe” rape and gang rapes occurred during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack.
That report from the U.N. special envoy also found reason to suspect sexual abuse of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza was “ongoing.” Hamas denied the findings.
Who are the accusations coming from?
The U.N. council’s findings released on Thursday, March 13, cover accusations from women, girls, boys and men, who said they were subjected to forced public stripping and nudity, rape, threats of rape and other forms of sexual abuse.
The U.N. commission said these acts appear to be “standard operating procedures directed toward Palestinians” and done “under explicit orders or implicit encouragement by Israel’s top civilian and military leadership.”
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What is the bigger picture?
The report was published following two days of public hearings in Geneva, which included testimony from those who said they were victims of the crimes, witnesses, medical staff and legal and scholarly experts.
[CRAIG NIGRELLI]
A UNITED NATIONS REPORT ACCUSES ISRAELI ARMED FORCES OF COMMITTING CRIMES OF “SEXUAL, REPRODUCTIVE AND OTHER FORMS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AGAINST PALESTINIANS” IN GAZA AND THE WEST BANK SINCE THE WAR AGAINST HAMAS BEGAN.
THE U-N HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL’S FINDINGS ALSO ACCUSE ISRAELI TROOPS OF “GENOCIDAL ACTS” DURING THE CONFLICT.
THE AGENCY CITING WHAT IT DEEMS THE “SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION OF SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES INCLUDING MATERNITY WARDS AND GAZA’S MAIN IN-VITRO FERTILITY CENTER WITH TANK SHELLING DESTROYING SOME FOUR-THOUSAND EMBRYOS.
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU RESPONDED TO THE REPORT IN A STATEMENT, REFUTING THE FINDINGS AND CALLING THE COUNCIL AN “ANTI-SEMITIC, ROTTEN, TERRORIST-SUPPORTING AND IRRELEVANT BODY.”
THE STATEMENT READ, “THE U-N IS ONCE AGAIN CHOOSING TO ATTACK THE STATE OF ISRAEL WITH FALSE ACCUSATIONS, INCLUDING UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
THE REPORT COMES MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER A U-N OFFICIAL WITH EXPERTISE IN SEXUAL VIOLENCE PUBLISHED A DOCUMENT ACCUSING HAMAS OF SIMILAR CRIMES AND NOTED, THERE IS “REASONABLE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE” RAPE AND GANG RAPES OCCURRED DURING THE OCTOBER 7TH HAMAS TERROR ATTACK.
THAT REPORT FROM THE U-N SPECIAL ENVOY ALSO FOUND REASON TO SUSPECT SEXUAL ABUSE OF ISRAELI HOSTAGES HELD BY HAMAS IN GAZA WAS “ONGOING.”
HAMAS DENIED THE ACCUSATIONS.
THE U-N COUNCIL’S REPORT THURSDAY COVERS ACCUSATIONS FROM WOMEN, GIRLS, MEN AND BOYS WHO SAY THEY WERE SUBJECTED TO FORCED PUBLIC STRIPPING AND NUDITY, RAPE, THREATS OF RAPE AND OTHER SEXUAL ABUSE.
THE U-N COMMISSION SAYS THESE ACTS APPEAR TO BE “STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES TOWARD PALESTINIANS AND DONE “UNDER EXPLICIT ORDERS OR WITH IMPLICIT ENCOURAGEMENT BY ISRAEL’S TOP CIVILIAN AND MILITARY LEADERSHIP.”
THE REPORT WAS PUBLISHED FOLLOWING TWO DAYS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS IN GENEVA WHICH INCLUDED TESTIMONY FROM THOSE WHO SAID THEY WERE VICTIMS OF THE CRIMES, WITNESSES, MEDICAL STAFF, LEGAL AND SCHOLARLY EXPERTS.
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Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- A United Nations report states that Israel has committed "genocidal acts" against Palestinians, including destroying health care facilities to prevent births and using sexual violence as a war strategy.
- The report cites systematic attacks on women's health care facilities, leading to increased maternal deaths and limited access to essential health care services for women and children.
- Israeli security forces are accused of employing sexual violence, including forced public stripping, and intentionally causing conditions that threaten the lives of Palestinians.
- Israel's Permanent Mission to the U.N. called the report unfounded, asserting that the allegations lack basis and bias against the state.
- A U.N.-backed investigation found that Israel has committed "genocidal acts" in Gaza, including the destruction of reproductive health care facilities.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the U.N.'s allegations, calling them biased and antisemitic.
- The Commission's chair, Navi Pillay, reported an increase in sexual and gender-based violence used against Palestinians.
- The findings may lead to potential prosecution for war crimes against Israel, as South Africa has brought a case to the International Court of Justice.
- United Nations-backed human rights experts accused Israel of systemic sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians during the war with Hamas, according to a report released on Thursday.
- The report details significant violations against Palestinian individuals, including accusations of rape by Israeli security forces, and was presented to help ensure accountability.
- Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, dismissed the allegations as baseless and anti-Israel, calling the United Nations Human Rights Council an "antisemitic and corrupt" body.
- The report suggested that sexual violence is part of the Israeli Defense Forces' standard operating procedures towards Palestinians, condemning Israel's conduct in the conflict.
Bias Comparison
Bias Distribution
Untracked Bias
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