The head of the United Nations human rights body has called on Israel to take immediate steps to prevent acts of “genocide” in Gaza, while also warning of signs of “ethnic cleansing” in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
In a new report, the UN Human Rights Office said that Israel’s military actions in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 amount in many cases to “gross violations” of international law, including “war crimes and other atrocity crimes”.
UN rights chief Volker Türk urged Israel to comply with a 2024 International Court of Justice ruling requiring it to take measures to prevent genocide-related acts. He said Israel must ensure “with immediate effect that its military does not engage in acts of genocide, (and take) all measures to prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide”.
Findings of the report
The report, covering the period from October 7, 2023 to May 2025, also documented violations by Palestinian armed groups during the initial attacks and afterward, including abuses against hostages.
It stated that “most hostages who died in Gaza died while held in secret detention, either killed by their captors or impact of the conflict occurring around them”.
However, the primary focus of the report was on Israeli military operations in Gaza, where, according to Gaza’s health authorities cited by the UN, more than 72,000 people have been killed since the start of the war.
UN officials said that even after a ceasefire that began in October last year, violence and destruction have continued, and humanitarian conditions remain extremely severe.
Ajith Sunghay, who heads the UN human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territories, said the ceasefire reduced large-scale violence but did not end ongoing killings or infrastructure destruction.
The report concluded that many of the deaths during the conflict “appear unlawful” and highlighted repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, medical facilities, journalists, humanitarian workers, and emergency responders.
It further warned that Israel’s conduct in Gaza has created conditions that make continued civilian life in parts of the territory “incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group”.
West Bank situation
The report also examined rising violence in the West Bank, noting that the use of excessive and disproportionate force has resulted in hundreds of unlawful killings since the war began.
Overall, the UN urged accountability for violations on all sides while stressing urgent action to protect civilians and prevent further escalation of the humanitarian crisis.
