Geneva, Switzerland. A U.N. report published on Thursday said Israeli forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups committed serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza and carried out atrocity crimes.
The report said intensified Israeli attacks and the forcible transfer of Palestinians appeared aimed at a permanent demographic shift in Gaza, raising concerns over ethnic cleansing.
Findings on Israeli actions
The report by the U.N. human rights office said Israel’s actions had imposed “conditions of life increasingly incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group in Gaza.”
Israel’s permanent mission in Geneva rejected the report’s findings about Israel’s actions and said in a statement that the U.N. human rights office had lost its credibility.
“Office of the High Commissioner is engaged in a vicious campaign of demonization and disinformation against the State of Israel,” the statement said.
Findings on Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups
The report said the holding and mistreatment of hostages by Hamas may amount to war crimes.
Hamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Scope of the investigation and conflict background
The 17-page report investigated events in Gaza from November 2024 to October 31, 2025.
Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 people, the Palestinian health ministry says.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into force last October after two years of war that damaged buildings across Gaza, displaced most of its residents and led to a humanitarian crisis. Israel still holds over half the enclave.
What do you think should happen next in response to the report’s findings?