UN Inquiry Member Says Panel Lacked Direct Evidence for Gaza Genocide Claim

During a public debate at the Caulfield Hebrew Congregation in Melbourne, UN Commission of Inquiry member Chris Sidoti acknowledged that the panel's conclusion that Israel intends genocide in Gaza was reached without collecting direct evidence of such intent. He stressed that proving genocidal intent requires a higher standard than the "reasonable grounds" the panel employed, emphasizing that the body is an investigative, not prosecutorial, entity.

Sidoti also confirmed the commission did not independently verify the widely cited claim that 83% of Gaza deaths were civilians. Former commission chair Navi Pillay previously portrayed the panel as functioning like a court, whereas former ICJ president Joan Donoghue said the court never found the genocide claim plausible. These remarks underscore the contested legal characterization of Israel's Gaza campaign.