U.N. Report Alleges Israel's Targeting of Reproductive Health in Gaza

The U.N. report reveals alarming findings about Israel's military operations in Gaza, drawing sharp rebuke from Israeli officials for perceived bias in the investigation.

A United Nations commission has accused Israel of deliberately destroying reproductive health facilities in Gaza, including a prominent I.V.F. center, asserting that these actions are intended to inhibit the birth rate among Palestinians. Released on March 13, 2025, the report from the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory characterized these acts as “genocidal” in nature, and emphasized the collective punishment meted out to Palestinians in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that caused substantial casualties in Israel.

Israel's mission to the U.N. in Geneva dismissed the claims as politically motivated, with officials outlining that the commission is engaging in a “shameless attempt” to misrepresent Israeli military actions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced strong opposition to the findings, calling the United Nations Human Rights Council's stance a pattern of “false accusations” against Israel.

The commission, established by the Human Rights Council in 2021, reported that its conclusions stemmed from a series of investigations and 25 interviews conducted with medical professionals, victims, and witnesses of the violent conflict in Gaza. The testimony was presented during public hearings held in Geneva in recent days.

Notably, the report marks a pivotal moment as it is the first time a U.N. body has classified Israeli actions as genocidal under both international law and the Rome Statute, which defines the grave crime of genocide. The commission asserted, “Israeli authorities are responsible for partially dismantling the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza, deploying measures intended to prevent births, thus aligning with categories of genocidal actions outlined in the Genocide Convention.”