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

The report, released Thursday by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, concluded that these actions constitute acts of genocide.

The commission found that Israel had systematically dismantled Gaza's sexual and reproductive healthcare system, including maternity hospitals, maternity wards of hospitals and Gaza's main in-vitro fertility (IVF) clinic.

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."

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