The United Nation’s commission investigating the October 7 attacks on Israel and its subsequent conflict with Gaza has disapproved both Palestine armed militants and Israel of carrying out war crimes, while declaring that Israel committed crimes against humanity in conducting the war.
This is a report from a three-member commission led by South African Indian Tamil Navi Pillay (a former UN human rights chief) that gives the most comprehensive un account of events taking place since October 7. Though there are no penalties associated with this report, it does outline a legal analysis of the actions that occurred during Gaza conflict which will be taken into consideration by the ICJ and other international criminal tribunals. The panel said that it didn’t cooperate in the investigation and objected to its findings; it stated also that protests were lodged by Israel.
According to this report, Hamas’ military wing and six more Palestinian armed groups involving some Palestinian civilians killed people through torture as they raided Israelis on October 7 resulting in over 1,200 deaths including about 800 innocent citizens. This number comprised of an extra 252 persons such as thirty six children who were abducted according to these reports. “Many abductions were carried out with significant physical, mental and sexual violence and degrading and humiliating treatment, including in some cases parading the abductees,” it said. Hamas denies all allegations.
However, during its operations against Gaza, Israeli has violated laws of warfare for instance starving her enemy’s people to death by imposing total siege on Gaza so says the commission. It declared that firing heavy weapons into densely populated areas by Israel amounted to direct attack on civilian population thus constituting crimes against humanity being necessary for distinguish between combatants and non-combatants when using heavy weapons in residential places.
