A United Nations report has accused Israel of committing “genocidal acts” against Palestinians by systematically destroying women’s healthcare facilities in Gaza and using sexual violence as a war strategy during the ongoing conflict.

The report, released on Thursday by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, alleges that Israeli authorities have targeted reproductive healthcare infrastructure in Gaza, effectively preventing births—a violation that falls under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute.

“Israeli authorities have destroyed in part the reproductive capacity of the Palestinians in Gaza as a group, including by imposing measures intended to prevent births,” the report states. It further highlights a rise in maternity deaths due to restricted access to medical supplies, which the commission classified as an act of “extermination” under crimes against humanity.

Additionally, the report accuses Israeli security forces of employing forced public stripping and sexual assault as punitive measures against Palestinians in the aftermath of the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel.

Israel has categorically denied the allegations, dismissing the report as biased and lacking credibility. The Israeli Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva responded in a statement, saying, “The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has concrete directives and policies which unequivocally prohibit such misconduct,” adding that Israel’s review processes align with international standards.

The UN commission had previously released a report in June 2024, which also condemned Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for serious rights violations, including torture and degrading treatment, during their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Israel, a signatory to the Genocide Convention, was ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January 2024 to take steps to prevent genocidal acts in its military operations against Hamas. However, Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute, which governs the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction over cases involving genocide and crimes against humanity.

Meanwhile, South Africa has filed a genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, adding to mounting international scrutiny over Israel’s actions in Gaza. The war, which erupted after Hamas militants launched a cross-border raid on October 7, 2023, has resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health officials. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in the initial attack, according to Israeli reports.