Islamabad: United Nations experts have said in a report that Israel committed 'genocidal acts' and sexual violence against Palestinians, including those living in Gaza, as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory issued its report, stating that Israel carried out those actions against Palestinians to control their population. Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission, highlighted a significant increase in sexual and gender-based violence, asserting that such acts were used to perpetuate a system of oppression.

The report indicated a rise in the 'frequency and severity' of sexual and gender-based violence, documenting cases ranging from rape and sexual assault to forced public undressing. It noted these crimes were committed 'either under explicit orders or with implicit encouragement by Israel's top civilian and military leadership.'

The UN experts further accused Israel of committing genocidal acts by demolishing reproductive healthcare centers and blocking the import of medicines for pregnant women and newborns in Gaza, leading to fatalities. The report categorized these actions as 'the crime against humanity of extermination.'

Additionally, the report stated that Israeli authorities have partially destroyed the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza by imposing measures intended to prevent births, aligning with one of the categories of genocidal acts in the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention.

The findings also highlighted the occurrence of female fatalities on an 'unprecedented scale,' attributed to Israel's strategy of targeting residential buildings and using heavy explosives in densely populated areas. The commission's conclusions are based on interviews with victims and witnesses and images from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and al-Quds since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023.