The Israeli military's "purposeful" use of heavy artillery in the Gaza Strip constitutes an "intentional and direct assault on the civilian populace," as noted in a fresh report by a United Nations-endorsed independent commission.

Navi Pillay, chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, declared on Wednesday that Israel has embarked on crimes against humanity, encompassing forced starvation, extermination, murder, and inhuman treatment of Palestinians, while Palestinian groups were also accused of war crimes.

Presenting the report to the UN Human Rights Council, Pillay remarked that the Israeli military in Gaza "coerced nearly the entire populace into an unsafe, unlivable enclosure," employing heavy weaponry in densely inhabited areas, constituting an "intentional and direct strike on the civilian population."

She added that specific forms of sexual violence were included in the Israeli forces' operational strategy.

"While Israeli officials claim that their operations in Gaza aim to dismantle Hamas and release hostages, these goals have not been significantly achieved, costing thousands of lives," she commented.

"We determined that Israeli forces perpetrated sexual and gender-based violence intending to humiliate and further oppress the Palestinian community, with Palestinian women being subjected to such acts both online and in person. Palestinian men and boys also encountered similar violence, amounting to torture and inhumane treatment."

Pillay highlighted that the relentless violence in Gaza should not overshadow the parallel surge in violence in the West Bank, where UN human rights chief Volker Turk noted the situation is "dramatically deteriorating".

Since the commencement of the present conflict in October, more Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank than in any previously recorded period, she reported to the council.

War Crimes by Palestinian Groups

Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions also committed substantial war crimes on October 7 in their strikes on southern Israel, according to Pillay.

These included intentionally targeting civilians, murder or willful killing, torture, sexual violence, inhumane treatment, and hostage-taking.

The commission found that sexual violence incidents were not isolated but executed in similar ways, primarily against Israeli women, though independent verification of reported rapes was not possible.

She cautioned against using sexual violence for political ends as it risks diverting focus from the survivors' experiences and needs, exacerbating long-standing hostilities.

Since October 7, Israeli strikes on Gaza have resulted in over 37,000 deaths, 40 percent of them being children, as stated by Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The attacks on Israel on October 7 took 1,139 lives.

‘Overwhelming Enormity of Tragedy’

This report marks the UN’s first comprehensive examination covering events from October 7 to the end of 2023. The commission, established in 2021 by the Human Rights Council, operates under an open mandate, led by a former UN high commissioner for human rights and ex-South African judge, James Bays from Al Jazeera reported.

"She stated the magnitude of the tragedy is staggering. The commission is bound to produce a report up to 10,700 pages; they achieved this and included two substantial annexes," Bays explained from Geneva.

"One annex details the October 7 events, labeling them as war crimes by Hamas and other factions, and the other details the aftermath in Gaza, citing Israeli war crimes," he elaborated.

Pillay expressed sorrow over Israel's obstruction of the commission’s access to victims within Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

"It's deeply troubling that access to entire Palestinian territories, not just Israel and Gaza, is denied; we need to interview victims there as well," she commented.

The commission will release more reports addressing attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza and the conflict’s impact on education.

Ibrahim Khraishi, Palestinian representative to the UN, appreciated the commission’s findings and condemned the atrocities committed by Israel during the "genocidal war."

Israel had given its council seat to the mother of one of the captives held in Gaza, who made an emotional plea.

"Mr. President, we should unite against hostage-taking, never tolerating the exploitation of young women. Please help me embrace my daughter again," urged Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of a 23-year-old hostage.

International human rights lawyer Toby Cadman told Al Jazeera the report might not immediately alter Israel's actions but could serve as evidence in future legal cases and might influence Western nations to reassess their support for Israel.