UN Commission Accuses Israel Of Genocide In Gaza, Citing Attacks On Schools And Religious Sites

RAMALLAH, June 10 (Bernama-WAFA) -- The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel has accused Israel of committing genocide by targeting civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites in Gaza, as part of what it described as a “systematic campaign to erase Palestinian life.”

The Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported that the commission, led by former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, is set to present its full report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 17.

In a statement released ahead of the presentation, Pillay said: “There is mounting evidence that Israel is carrying out a deliberate and systematic campaign to eliminate Palestinian life in Gaza.”

She added that the targeting of Palestinian educational, cultural, and religious life would have lasting consequences for current and future generations, undermining their right to self-determination.

The commission has examined Israeli attacks on schools, mosques, and cultural institutions to determine whether international law was violated.

According to its latest findings, Israel has destroyed more than 90 per cent of school and university buildings in Gaza, along with over half of the enclave’s religious and cultural sites.

The report also concludes that Israeli forces have committed war crimes, including deliberate attacks on civilians and the killing of people seeking shelter in educational and religious facilities.

The damage to the Palestinian education system, the commission notes, is not confined to Gaza. It highlights a rise in Israeli military operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as increasing harassment of students and settler violence.

Israel withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council in February, accusing it of bias. 

-- BERNAMA-WAFA