UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza

A UN fact-finding mission has accused Israel of deliberately targeting and destroying sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities in Gaza since Oct 7, 2023.

Israel has increasingly employed sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination and carried out genocidal acts through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities, including maternity hospitals, maternity wards of hospitals and Gaza's main in-vitro fertility (IVF) clinic, according to the report issued by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

According to the report, the Basma IVF Clinic, Gaza's main fertility center, was intentionally attacked and destroyed by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF). The ISF also eliminated all stored reproductive materials for the future conception of Palestinians.

The commission stated that there was no credible evidence indicating that the clinic was a legitimate military target at the time of the attack.

Furthermore, the report highlighted that Israel had imposed a siege on Gaza and blocked large-scale humanitarian aid, including essential medications and equipment needed for safe pregnancies, deliveries and neonatal care.

It also noted that Israeli authorities had systematically denied permission for patients to leave Gaza for medical treatment, including women suffering from gynecological cancer.

The commission concluded that Israel had partially destroyed the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza, including by imposing measures aimed at preventing birth acts that fall under the categories of genocide as defined by the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention.

Israel swiftly rejected the findings, issuing a statement that categorically rejected the report's conclusions and dismissed the allegations as "unfounded."

Following the report's release, the Palestinian side urged the international community to hold Israel accountable.

The Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Thursday issued a statement endorsing the report, noting that the report confirmed the allegations of Israel's genocide committed against the Palestinian people.

Israel's violence against women and children in Gaza is "more than a human can bear", according to the ministry.

The ministry has called on all countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations to support the UN commission, oppose any attempt to absolve or grant immunity for Israel's actions, and has also urged all parties to take concrete actions to implement the commission's recommendations in the report and hold Israel accountable.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told the media Thursday that the atrocities committed by the Israeli army in Gaza extend beyond what is outlined in the report.

Qassem called for the prosecution of Israeli leaders responsible for these crimes at the International Criminal Court and emphasized the need for a swift trial process.

UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza

UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza

UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza

UN fact-finding mission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza

Iran has prepared a new law that will further tighten control over the Strait of Hormuz, including bans on Israeli-linked vessels, the Fars news agency reported on Sunday.

Mohammad Rezaei-Kouchi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Civil Engineering Committee, announced on Sunday that the draft law is nearing finalization.

According to details of the draft law, ships and cargoes connected to Israel would be completely prohibited from passing through the strait. Vessels from countries Iran considers hostile would require approval from the country's Supreme National Security Council.

Countries that have previously caused damage to Iran would be barred until they pay compensation.

The proposed rules would also require all vessels to pay transit fees exclusively in Iranian rials. Of the revenue collected, 30 percent would be allocated to strengthening Iran's armed forces, while 70 percent would be used to improve people's livelihood.

The moves come amid tensions between the United States and Iran escalated over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reimposed a blockade on the strait on Saturday, citing the U.S. failure to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports in violation of a ceasefire commitment.

Bloomberg reported, based on shipping tracking data, at least 13 oil tankers turned back that day, and no vessels were observed transiting the strait on Sunday.

Iran has tightened control over the Strait of Horumuz since Feb 28, when it barred passage to vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States after the two countries' joint strikes on Iranian territory.

The United States later imposed its own blockade on the waterway after peace negotiations with Iran in Pakistan's Islamabad collapsed.

Iran nears approval of new law to tighten control over Strait of Hormuz: official