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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Is the UN investigating Israel for possibly committing war crimes?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

On May 27, 2021, the U.N. Human Rights Council approved a resolution that included an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Israel. The resolution was supported by 24 states; nine opposed it and 14 did not vote. 

The ongoing independent, international commission will investigate alleged violations committed by Israel in its conflict with Hamas.

Israel claims that its deadly strikes in Gaza targeted buildings hosting armed groups. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said such actions may still be considered war crimes if no evidence suggests the targets were used for military purposes.

Israel denounced the decision and said it would “not cooperate” with the investigation. A Hamas spokesperson said Hamas’ actions were “legitimate resistance” and asked for “steps to punish” Israel.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
UN Human Rights Human Rights Council establishes commission to investigate violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
UN Geneva Human Rights Council opens special session on potential war crimes
Reuters UN launches investigation into whether Israel, Hamas committed crimes
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.