A United Nations report has found that Israeli forces, Hamas, and other Palestinian armed groups committed serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, with actions potentially amounting to atrocity crimes, the U.N. human rights office said on Thursday.
As reported by Reuters, the 17-page investigation covered events between November 2024 and October 31, 2025. It highlighted intensified Israeli attacks, forcible transfers of Palestinians, and destruction of neighborhoods that may signal a permanent demographic shift, raising concerns over ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Allegations Against Israel
The report detailed that Israel’s military offensive caused over 72,000 deaths, widespread displacement, and a humanitarian crisis. Conditions imposed by Israeli forces, including restricted access to food and services, were described as increasingly incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group in Gaza. Militarized aid distribution centers backed by Israel and the U.S. “failed utterly” to meet humanitarian needs, violating international humanitarian obligations.
Allegations Against Hamas
Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups were also implicated. The report cited the mistreatment of hostages captured during Hamas’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people, as potential war crimes. Hamas was further accused of using civilians as human shields and unlawfully killing 12 Palestinian staff associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last June.
International Reactions
Israel’s permanent mission in Geneva dismissed the report, claiming the U.N. human rights office had lost credibility and was engaged in “demonization and disinformation.” Hamas has not issued a response.
The report emphasizes the urgent need for accountability for serious violations by both sides, including potential international crimes, while highlighting the enduring humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
