UN Inquiry Member Questions Verification of Genocide Claims Against Israel, Gaza Population Data Shows Growth

A senior member of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Israel has stated that some genocide claims against Israel remain unverified, according to a report from Fox News. This comes as data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health indicates Gaza's population grew in 2025, leading experts to question the validity of the accusations and their alleged contribution to global antisemitism.

In September 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (COI) released a report accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza since October 2023. The COI report cited a Guardian article stating that 83% of those killed in the conflict were civilians.

However, in a recent interview, COI commissioner Chris Sidoti acknowledged that the commission did not independently verify the civilian status of all reported deaths. "We literally do not know, nor does anybody else know, including the IDF, how many militants were there," Sidoti was quoted as saying, when asked about the verification of civilian casualties.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health's Health Information Unit released its mortality data for 2025, showing 24,650 deaths registered, with 70.1% attributed to direct targeting in the war. The same report documented 50,227 live births in 2025. Elliot Malin, president at Stratos Council, argued that the number of live births significantly exceeding deaths makes it difficult to infer an intent by Israel to destroy the Palestinian population. "We’re not seeing a population under threat. We are seeing that it is actually able to sustain itself," Malin stated.

Malin also contested the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declaration of famine in Gaza during the summer of 2025, suggesting that population sustenance implies adequate caloric intake. Gabriel Epstein, senior policy associate at Israel Policy Forum, agreed that the MOH data supports population growth, noting that Gaza has one of the youngest populations globally. He added that to argue for negative population growth in 2025 would require doubling the reported violent and non-violent deaths.

Andrew Fox, senior associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, asserted that the data indicates no famine occurred in Gaza and that the genocide allegations have stoked global antisemitism. "Agencies and the media who shared these false allegations have blood on their hands," Fox said.

Epstein further commented that the MOH figures challenge external estimates that suggested a much higher death toll, largely used to support genocide narratives. "These estimated figures were largely used to drive the narrative that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza," he said, adding that the current MOH figures "really eliminate the possibility that there is a much higher death toll driven by non-violent or non-trauma deaths."

Regarding the reported disproportionate number of male deaths, the Ministry of Health stated that "The number of deaths among males was approximately 4.9 times the number of deaths among females within this group – attributed principally to the direct targeting of working-age men during military operations." However, Epstein countered that this disparity is likely due to the high proportion of militants within this demographic in Gaza, rather than direct targeting based on age or gender. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson echoed this, stating that the IDF targets terrorists and military objectives, and that the prevalence of military-age men among those eliminated is consistent with the composition of terrorist organizations.

The IDF spokesperson emphasized that targets are selected based on their military nature or involvement in hostilities, in accordance with international law, and that the IDF takes precautions to mitigate civilian harm, contrasting this with Hamas's alleged deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians. Epstein added that the available 2025 data does not support claims of IDF intent to cause harm, citing both the context of the October 7, 2023 attacks and the hybridization of civilian and military structures in Gaza, as well as IDF mitigation measures.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health did not respond to requests for comment by press time.