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A UN human rights mechanism reports that Israeli actions in Gaza continue a pattern that may amount to crimes against humanity, according to UN experts. The assessment also notes a risk of genocide against the Palestinian people, influenced by statements from Israeli leaders and their supporters (citation: UN experts).

Earlier, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Israel’s conduct toward Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip as genocide, a charge echoed by various international observers (citation: Palestinian MFA; UN experts).

On October 17, a rocket strike hit the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, a facility already crowded with patients. Gaza’s health authorities reported that hundreds suffered life-threatening injuries. Officials in Gaza attributed the blast to an Israeli attack, while Israeli officials suggested the Palestinian Islamic Jihad bears responsibility for the failed rocket launch (citation: Gaza Ministry of Health; official statements).

Beginning on October 7, Hamas launched thousands of rockets into Israel and announced Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Simultaneously, militants crossed into Israeli territory, seized equipment, and took more than a hundred hostages. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared the nation at war (citation: Israeli government statements).

The Israeli Defense Forces launched a major operation under the code name Iron Swords, aiming to dismantle Hamas. The Israeli Air Force struck numerous Hamas facilities inside Gaza, and the National Security Council moved to cut off essential supplies such as water, food, medical materials, electricity, and fuel to Gaza (citation: Israeli military statements; NSC).

There have also been ongoing discussions about the broader regional implications of these actions, including evolving assessments of the likelihood and timing of an end to the conflict (citation: regional observers; UN monitoring bodies).