UN says Israeli Gaza home demolitions amount to 'act of genocide'
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The UN rapporteur on the right to adequate housing says "Israel's" destruction of homes in Gaza amounts to genocide, with demolitions and aid blockades continuing despite the ceasefire.
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A boy rides his bicycle along a damaged street in the Al-Shati camp in Gaza City, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 (AP)
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing said "Israel’s" ongoing destruction of homes in Gaza amounts to “part of an act of genocide," warning that the devastation has persisted despite the ceasefire reached in early October.
In an interview for Anadolu, Balakrishnan Rajagopal said, "Israel has continued to kill individuals and to demolish homes,” while also blocking sufficient quantities of humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
“The ceasefire process has not been fully implemented, and there is unfortunately no mechanism to ensure compliance or to monitor consequences when it is violated,” he added.
Rajagopal noted that conditions in Gaza, where more than 69,000 people have been killed since October 2023, remain “not that different from the time before the signing of the ceasefire,” despite a halt in large-scale aerial bombardments.
“There is some relief because the intense aerial bombing has stopped,” he said. “But every other form of destruction, killing, and denial of aid continues, and the territory remains under occupation.”
He said "Israel" routinely claims that destroyed homes were “military objectives", yet “in nearly all cases” has failed to provide evidence supporting that designation. Instead, he said, most incidents show “arbitrary and widespread destruction of housing without distinction.”
Rajagopal described this as a grave violation of the laws of war, a crime against humanity, and “part of an act of genocide,” adding that he has raised these concerns repeatedly.
'Israel' acting completely against international law
According to Rajagopal, most demolitions have occurred not during combat but after Israeli forces had already taken full control of an area, noting that troops frequently enter neighborhoods, plant explosives, and then destroy homes in actions unrelated to what could be dubbed "legitimate military operations."
“These demolitions are completely contrary to international law,” he said. “Israel was doing this before the ceasefire and has continued the same practices.”
He reiterated his previous characterisation of the widespread destruction as “domicide”, emphasizing that “this must be recognized as an act of war, an act of genocide, and a crime against humanity."
Rajagopal also drew attention to the severe humanitarian crisis facing displaced Palestinians, noting that more than 288,000 families currently have no adequate shelter.
Shelters are 'completely inadequate'
He said existing shelters are “threadbare and completely inadequate,” with many families standing in water one to two feet deep as winter temperatures drop. The flooding and cold pose serious risks to infants, children, women, older people, and increase the spread of waterborne diseases, he warned.
Rajagopal added that "Israel" has not granted the necessary clearances for tents and caravans it is required to allow under the 20-point ceasefire plan, describing how many aid trucks carrying shelter materials are stuck at the border because "Israel is not allowing them to come in.”
He accused "Israel" of withholding shelter as part of a deliberate strategy to keep Palestinians insecure and constantly on the move, enabling greater Israeli control over Gaza.
“This is part of a strategy of annexation, and it is extremely unfortunate that it is being allowed to continue,” he said.
