UN denounces Israel for reproductive health attacks in Gaza and genocide practice

A new report released on Thursday (13) by the United Nations (UN) launches a serious accusation against Israel: the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive health of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is considered an act of genocide. According to the UN Human Rights Council created, the Israeli authorities would have imposed measures to prevent birth and impose living conditions that threaten the physical survival of the Palestinian group.

“The attacks on reproductive health facilities, combined with the use of hunger as a method of war, have impacted all aspects of reproduction,” said Navi Pillay, chairman of the Commission and former president of the International Criminal Court for Rwanda. For her, these violations not only caused immediate suffering to women and girls, but also have irreversible consequences for the Palestinians’ ability to perpetuate their existence as a group.

The Israeli embassy in Geneva rejected the accusations, classifying them as “unfounded” and part of a predetermined political agenda. “Israel has clear and political guidelines that unequivocally prohibit such misconduct,” said Israeli diplomatic representation.

What does the UN report say?

The report details a series of practices that, according to the Commission, constitute genocide crimes and crimes against humanity. Among them are:

• Destruction of medical infrastructure: The main in vitro fertilization clinic of Gaza, al-Basma, was destroyed by Israeli forces, resulting in the loss of thousands of embryos. For the commission, this action aimed to directly prevent the birth of new Palestinians.
• Intentional neglect of maternal health: Restrictions on access to medical supplies and blockages to humanitarian aid entry led to increased maternal deaths, characterized as a crime of extermination.
• Hunger as a weapon of war: The deliberate scarcity of food and basic resources have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, further compromising the reproductive health of Palestinian women.

“These acts are calculated to provoke the physical destruction of the Palestinians in Gaza,” the commission said, referring to the definition of genocide established by the 1948 Genocide Convention.

In addition, the report points to forced public denudation and sexual aggression as part of the standard operating procedures of Israel’s defense forces (FDI) used as punishment.

Israel’s response: “unfounded and biased”

The Israeli authorities categorically rejected the UN conclusions, arguing that the report is based on unruly information and second-hand sources. In a statement, Israel’s permanent mission in Geneva stated that the document ignores the methodological norms established by the UN itself.

“The commission is exploring sexual violence and related issues to promote its predetermined and biased political agenda,” the embassy said.

Israel also pointed out that their defense forces have strict guidelines to prevent abuse and that any violation is investigated according to international standards.

Despite these allegations, Israel’s position on the international scene has been widely criticized, especially after the International Court of Justice (CIJ) to order in January 2024 that the country takes all possible measures to prevent genocide acts during the conflict in Gaza.

Historical and legal context

The concept of genocide was formalized after World War II, with the adoption of the genocide convention, which defines crime as acts committed with the intention of destroying, in whole or partially, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

Although Israel is a signatory to the Convention, the country is not part of the Statute of Rome, which gives jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute individuals for genocide crimes and crimes against humanity. However, South Africa filed an affair against Israel at the International Court of Justice (TIJ), accusing the country of genocide in Gaza.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the UN report also accuses Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups of serious human rights violations during the attack of 7 October 2023, including torture and inhuman treatment.

An uncertain future for Gaza

While the legal and political debate intensifies, the reality in Gaza remains dark. Health infrastructure is in ruins, maternal mortality rates increase and thousands of families face extreme difficulties.

For the UN Commission, Israel’s Humanitarian Aid Block is another central piece of this destruction strategy. “The conditions imposed by the Israeli authorities are equivalent to the crime of extermination,” the report concluded.

However, rhetorical climbing between Israel and its international critics complicates any short -term diplomatic solution. With both sides accusing each other of war crimes and genocide, the international community faces a dilemma: how to mediate a conflict whose historical and humanitarian roots seem increasingly insurmountable?

The UN report may be an important milestone in clarifying responsibilities, but it also feeds global polarization around Israeli-Palestine conflict. Meanwhile, the Palestinians in Gaza continue to pay the highest price.