A United Nations-supported investigation has determined that war crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas, as well as other Palestinian factions, during the ongoing eight-month conflict.

The independent Commission of Inquiry’s report, published on Wednesday, covers the period starting from the Hamas-led offensive on southern Israel on October 7, and Israel’s ensuing war against Gaza, concluding the investigation on December 31, 2023.

Israel continues its aggressive actions against Gaza. The report is explicit, detailing acts of sexual violence, torture, and mutilation inflicted on unarmed civilians.

Here is a summary:

Who does the report accuse, Israel or Palestinian groups?

Both are accused. The report found that the Hamas-led Palestinian fighters who attacked Israel on October 7 committed war crimes by not distinguishing between Israeli combatants and civilians during their assault.

It further accuses Israel and its military of committing “crimes against humanity” in Gaza, including “extermination, murder, gender persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys, forcible transfer, and torture and inhuman and cruel treatment”.

Israel’s assault has resulted in over 37,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and continues unabated.

The report also highlights a surge in violence within the occupied West Bank since October 7 and efforts by the Israeli government to arm and support an already radicalized settler movement.

What did Palestinian groups do on October 7?

The report states that the Hamas-led fighters, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, launched multiple attacks on Israeli civilians, committing acts of sexual and gender-based violence, murder, and torture.

Victims included children, teenagers, and the elderly. The report details the subsequent "desecration of corpses by burning, mutilation, and decapitation," as well as “the sexualized desecration of both male and female bodies”.

Due to the inability to interview witnesses and victims, investigators could not confirm if rape was committed during the attack.

So Israel wasn’t at fault at all on October 7?

The Israeli military’s response to the attack was also addressed, with the report criticizing the use of the Hannibal Directive, which permits the army to take extreme measures to prevent the capture of Israelis, even resulting in their deaths.

The report found that at least 14 Israeli civilians were killed due to this directive.

What did Israel do in Gaza?

Initially, Israel justified its assault on Gaza as a means to rescue captives and dismantle Hamas’s governance structure.

Soon after, a total siege was imposed on Gaza as collective punishment, with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant referring to the people as “human animals," according to the report.

“Considering Israel’s repeated claims that militants are embedded within civilian populations, the Commission views these statements as indicating that the Israeli Government has given [the Israeli Security Forces] broad authorization to target civilian sites extensively and indiscriminately in the Gaza Strip,” the report stated.

The investigation found that widespread sexual and gender-based violence and torture were part of Israel's response.

Men and women were repeatedly forced to strip publicly, with instances of public nudity for men and boys being filmed and disseminated online. The Commission concluded that these actions were either ordered or condoned by Israeli military personnel.

Furthermore, Israel's claimed efforts to “minimize civilian casualties” were heavily scrutinized.

Instructions for civilians to reach "humanitarian zones" were vague, and the time allotted was insufficient. Thousands of starving, injured, and elderly individuals had to carry their possessions while navigating through unclear routes based on Israeli directives.

Evacuation routes were disorderly, and evacuees faced harassment at checkpoints manned by the Israeli military.

Currently, 1.7 million Palestinians are displaced within Gaza.

How easy were the Commission’s attempts to investigate this?

The report mentions that information requests were sent to both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority responded positively, providing extensive comments on the report.

Conversely, the Israeli government was uncooperative and did not respond to six requests for information.

Additionally, Israel has obstructed the Commission’s investigators from interviewing medical personnel within Israel.

What has the official reaction been to the report?

The military wing of Hamas has denied allegations of sexual violence against Israeli women on October 7.

Israel’s diplomatic mission to the UN in Geneva rejected the report’s findings, stating on social media that the Commission of Inquiry “serves a narrow political agenda against Israel”.

Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7 during a Jewish High Holiday. Today, on the Jewish High Holiday of Shavuot, the Pillay Commission of Inquiry chooses to publish its latest biased reports attacking Israel.

This decision is reflective of the systematic anti-Israeli… pic.twitter.com/s1bb7DSuvm

— Israel in UN/Geneva🇮🇱🇺🇳 | #BringThemHome (@IsraelinGeneva) June 12, 2024

The Israeli government is contemplating actions against UN agencies in Israel and the Palestinian territories, which may include expelling staff, as reported by the Financial Times on Tuesday.

It is not clear if these measures are in response to Wednesday’s report or the recent addition of Israel to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' list of entities that fail to protect children in conflict.