Eurasia Press & News
A United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry report on the occupied Palestinian territories has found that Israel committed genocide in the Gaza Strip between 7 October 2023 and July 2025.
The report detailed that Israel committed four of the five acts outlined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, including: deliberate killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about partial or total destruction, and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the Palestinian group.
The most urgent question now is whether the UN report will add to growing pressure on Israel to stop its genocidal campaign in Gaza and prompt a review by the international community of ties with Tel Aviv, most notably EU-Israel relations, which include key trade and military agreements.
On Sunday, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal all recognised a Palestinian state, prompting a furious response from Israel. The decision aligned them with more than 140 other countries that support the Palestinian right to an independent homeland.
Dr Ayman Salama, a professor of international law, told The New Arab that the UN report “represents a fundamental shift in the international position on the conflict, granting accusations of genocide against Israel legal weight and credibility on the global stage”.
He explained that this development could accelerate proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case brought by South Africa against Israel, while also supporting efforts to prosecute Israeli leaders before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The report places European countries and the United Nations under a legal and moral obligation to take practical steps to ensure respect for international law and stop violations, which could open the door to a new phase of international pressure on Israel,” Salama said.
This aligns with charges of incitement to genocide that the report levelled against President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
Netanyahu has publicly admitted that Israel is facing growing global isolation and severe economic challenges amid the nearly two-year Gaza war. Speaking at a finance ministry conference, Netanyahu recently warned that Israel may be forced to adopt autarkic, self-reliant policies as the international backlash intensifies, with Israel’s once-thriving startup economy now under strain.
Mounting economic pressure on Israel grows
This week, Spain approved a total arms embargo on Israel as part of measures to halt what Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the “genocide” in Gaza.
Earlier in September, Spain had cancelled a massive arms deal with Israel worth $825 million for missile launchers from Elbit Systems.
Spain joins France, the United Kingdom, and Italy in imposing partial arms embargoes on Israel, creating an increasingly coordinated European response that threatens Israel’s defence industry exports, which constitute a significant portion of its economy, and deepens Tel Aviv’s diplomatic isolation.
This approach aligns with the international commission’s recommendations on the necessity of stopping arms and equipment supplies to Israel, imposing sanctions on individuals and entities involved, and complying with International Court of Justice orders regarding provisional measures.
The European Commission has also suggested implementing a comprehensive sanctions framework against Israel, including targeted sanctions on officials involved in settlement activities, restrictions on dual-use technology exports, and potential suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. These recommendations provide a roadmap for member states seeking to coordinate their response to the UN findings.
Hamed Fares, a professor of international relations, views Spain’s measures as indicative of a broader trajectory within Europe, with recognition of a Palestinian state by key European powers this week “constituting a harsh blow” to Israel.
“Among the most prominent steps is the possibility of suspending the free trade agreement between the European Union and Israel, which could cost Tel Aviv millions of dollars in losses, leading to unilateral decisions by some European countries in the same direction,” Fares told The New Arab.
He added that the accumulation of these moves puts Israel on a path of growing international isolation and consolidates its image as a pariah state.
Ambassador Mohamed Al Orabi, former foreign minister and Egypt’s former ambassador to Israel, believes that Israel’s extreme violence has rightly led to escalating international reactions, placing Israel on an inevitable path to isolation.
“These developments force the international community to move from condemnation to action, through imposing strict sanctions that make Israel pay the price for its crimes, including suffocating economic sanctions that may directly impact the Israeli people and generate increasing internal pressure against their government’s policies,” Al Orabi said.
He noted that the continuation of these pressures, with increasing boycotts and European moves to reconsider trade and military agreements, would place Israel in a major international predicament and could ultimately lead to a ceasefire as a first step.
Will Israel pay the price? Sanctions tied to interests
However, experts view the possibility of punishing Israel as extremely complex given the interests of major powers, primarily the United States.
“International relations are managed based on interests, not principles, making Washington not merely a supporter of Israel but a direct partner in its policies,” Huda Zakaria, professor of political and military sciences, told The New Arab.
“Though the international community in reality feels moral anger toward what Israel is doing, this anger cannot be transformed into effective policies.”
Dr Rashad Abdou, professor of economics and international investment at Cairo University, also believes that any international sanctions on Israel will lack impact as long as the Israeli economy is fundamentally based on direct American support.
He pointed out that Washington would cover any gaps or deficits that Tel Aviv might face, which would undermine any economic sanctions.
The path to pariah status
The UN report’s findings represent more than legal documentation; they signal a fundamental shift in how the international community views Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s public acknowledgement of his country’s growing isolation suggests that even the Israeli leadership recognises the severity of the international backlash, according to experts.
The report’s legal weight, combined with ongoing proceedings at international courts and growing European sanctions, suggests Israel is entering an unprecedented period of international isolation, potentially transforming it into what analysts describe as a pariah state on the global stage.
