NEW YORK - The United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories warned today that Israel's genocidal practices in Gaza have inflicted unimaginable pain and suffering.
Presenting its latest report to the General Assembly today, the Committee said that Israel continues to expand its presence and control of territory in Palestine, Syria and Southern Lebanon. "Israel's constant claims to a borderless "Land of Israel" are incompatible with a just and lasting peace and will bring nothing but more suffering and dispossession to the Middle East region if not reined in by the international community," the Committee said.
Appointed by the General Assembly in 1968 to investigate Israeli practices in Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, the Special Committee heard firsthand from numerous interlocutors how policies, actions, and practices of the Government of Israel led to atrocity crimes and the total subjugation of those under its occupation and apartheid system, fueled by the abhorrent dehumanisation of the Palestinians.
"For almost three months, Israel blocked entry of humanitarian aid in Gaza, resulting in famine. In the West Bank, since the 7 October attacks, Israeli officials have effectively given colonising settlers, through support of the Israel security forces, a carte blanche to intimidate, subjugate, ethnically cleanse, attack, and in some cases kill, those living under its occupation at will, in order to steal and drive them of their homes and land,", the Committee said.
"Despite binding orders and authoritative opinions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Israel has been acting with complete impunity, sustained by continued diplomatic, financial, and military support through powerful third States, and the absence of international sanctions," the Committee said.
The report also documents the ramping-up of racist, genocidal and expansionist rhetoric by Israeli leaders and the consolidation of Israeli control in the region.
"In Syria, Israel is working to double the settler population in the occupied Golan and claims it will stay indefinitely in newly occupied areas further inside Syria," it said.
According to the report, in Lebanon, Israel's actions killed and injured thousands, including the highest numbers of medical workers killed and injured in any armed conflict in the world in 2024.
"The international community must act. There must be accountability for these and other egregious violations of international law," the Committee said.
As a first step, the Committee recommended that Member States impose sanctions and a full arms embargo to compel Israel to fully halt its assault on Palestinians, comply with the ceasefire in Gaza, and withdraw from all occupied territory in the region. Member States should fully cooperate with the ICC and exercise universal jurisdiction.
"It is critical that Member States investigate or prosecute corporate entities, dual citizens, and other actors complicit in violations of international law. It cannot be right that someone from another nation goes to Israel, enlists in the army, commits war crimes and simply rejoins society without any accountability," the Committee said.
This report covers developments from August 2024 to July 2025.
Read the full report A/80/365 here.
