A UN fact-finding mission has accused Israel of deliberately targeting and destroying sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023.
Israel has increasingly employed sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination and carried out genocidal acts through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities, including maternity hospitals, maternity wards of hospitals and Gaza's main in-vitro fertility (IVF) clinic, according to the report issued by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
According to the report, the Basma IVF Clinic, Gaza's main fertility center, was intentionally attacked and destroyed by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF). The ISF also eliminated all stored reproductive materials for the future conception of Palestinians.
The commission stated that there was no credible evidence indicating that the clinic was a legitimate military target at the time of the attack.
Furthermore, the report highlighted that Israel had imposed a siege on Gaza and blocked large-scale humanitarian aid, including essential medications and equipment needed for safe pregnancies, deliveries and neonatal care.
It also noted that Israeli authorities had systematically denied permission for patients to leave Gaza for medical treatment, including women suffering from gynecological cancer.
The commission concluded that Israel had partially destroyed the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza, including by imposing measures aimed at preventing birth acts that fall under the categories of genocide as defined by the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention.
Israel swiftly rejected the findings, issuing a statement that categorically rejected the report's conclusions and dismissed the allegations as "unfounded."
Following the report's release, the Palestinian side urged the international community to hold Israel accountable.
The Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Thursday issued a statement endorsing the report, noting that the report confirmed the allegations of Israel's genocide committed against the Palestinian people.
Israel's violence against women and children in Gaza is "more than a human can bear", according to the ministry.
The ministry has called on all countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to support the UN commission, oppose any attempt to absolve or grant immunity for Israel's actions, and has also urged all parties to take concrete actions to implement the commission's recommendations in the report and hold Israel accountable.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told the media Thursday that the atrocities committed by the Israeli army in Gaza extend beyond what is outlined in the report.
Qassem called for the prosecution of Israeli leaders responsible for these crimes at the International Criminal Court and emphasized the need for a swift trial process.
UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza
UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza
UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza
UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza
