Israel seeks to permanently occupy Gaza and annex the West Bank, says UN Commission: invasion, dispossession, and relocation are 'an act of genocide'

The Israeli government has a "clear and consistent" intention to establish permanent control over Gaza and maintain a majority Jewish population in the West Bank , the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Palestine said Tuesday in a report to the UN General Assembly.

This central conclusion stems from research conducted on the evolution of the land and housing situation throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, as well as in Israel.

As part of this work , six Israeli ministers have been identified as likely perpetrators of international crimes related to land and housing, among others.

Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and current Defense Minister Israel Katz are first named as responsible for the actions of Israeli security forces in Gaza.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock are considered jointly responsible for driving settlement construction and expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is seen as responsible for the mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Ultimately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is held responsible for Israel's conduct throughout the Palestinian territories and for acts that constitute war crimes , crimes against humanity, and the crime of genocide.

Regarding the Gaza Strip, the report states that Israeli authorities have extensively and systematically demolished civilian infrastructure in the corridors and security zone, continually expanding the areas under their control, reaching 75% of the total as of last July.

In place of the demolished buildings and infrastructure, Israel expanded "security zones" and established corridors, significantly reducing the land available to Palestinians and leading to a forced transfer of population.

The Commission, led by respected South African judge Navi Pillay, stated that this has serious implications for the Palestinian people's ability to exercise their right to self-determination or their ability to produce food.

It also determined that the Israeli authorities deliberately deprived Palestinians in Gaza of resources indispensable to their survival, amounting to deliberately inflicting living conditions calculated to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, "which constitutes an underlying act of genocide."

Regarding the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the report states that there is no doubt that Israeli policies and actions implemented since October 2023 (including support for violent settlers) demonstrate that Israel seeks to forcibly transfer Palestinians to "annex the entire West Bank, prevent any possibility of self-determination and the existence of a Palestinian state, and maintain an indefinite occupation."

As evidence of this, it is mentioned that the Israeli military operations in Jenin, Tulkarem, and the Nur Shams refugee camps, which began earlier this year, "significantly altered the geographical landscape by destroying buildings and infrastructure and displacing Palestinian residents."

Some destroyed buildings were designated by the Israeli army as "terrorist homes" and demolished as punishment and as a deterrent. The Commission concluded that this had no military justification and was, in effect, collective punishment.

"The Israeli incursion into the entire West Bank and the dispossession and relocation of multiple Palestinian communities are now explicit goals, openly boasted about by Israeli officials. These plans and statements are abhorrent and must be condemned," Pillay said.