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An international investigative body has concluded that the Israeli government committed genocide in Gaza, asserting that top officials including the head of government incited these actions.

Key Findings from the Investigation

The inquiry highlighted multiple examples to substantiate its conclusion of atrocities, such as the scale of killings, restrictions of humanitarian assistance, mass evacuations, and the demolition of a fertility clinic.

"Systematic destruction is occurring in the region," stated the head of the investigative body, an ex- global justice official.

The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with the nation's leadership at the highest echelons who have planned a genocidal campaign with the clear objective to eliminate the local population in Gaza.

Israel's Response

The Israeli government refused to work with the commission, accusing it of having a political agenda targeting the state.

An official response from the diplomatic office asserted, "Israel categorically rejects this distorted and false report and calls for the prompt dissolution of this commission of inquiry."

Background and Framework

The 1948 UN genocide convention, adopted after the mass murder of Jewish people by the Third Reich, defines genocide as acts committed "with intent to destroy, in entirety or sections, a national, ethnic, religious, or religious community."

The commission determined that Israeli forces had committed multiple of the specified violations: killing; inflicting serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting circumstances of life calculated to bring about devastation; and enforcing measures intended to prevent births.

Evidence and Testimonies

The findings were based on interviews with survivors, witnesses, doctors, verified public records, and satellite imagery analysis gathered since the war began.

The body also concluded that statements by top officials constituted "clear proof of destructive aims," citing a message equating the military campaign to a "religious conflict of complete eradication."

International and Historical Comparisons

The chair of the inquiry, who once headed a international court for the Rwanda atrocities, stated the situations were comparable.

"Upon examining the details in the Rwandan genocide, it's very, very similar to this. You dehumanise your victims. They are portrayed as less than human, and so therefore, without conscience, you can eliminate them," she explained.

Current Judicial Actions

Israel is engaged in a legal dispute at the international court of justice in The Hague. It denies such claims, citing its right to protection after the deadly 7 October 2023 assault that took the lives of 1,200 people and resulted in 251 being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.

The war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 64,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, while a global hunger monitor says that part of it is experiencing starvation.