Israel on Friday strongly condemned a UN report accusing it of deliberately destroying Gaza’s healthcare system and mistreating Palestinian detainees.

The report, released by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, stated that Israel had “perpetrated a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system” and accused the country of committing “war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination” by targeting medical personnel and facilities in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s mission in Geneva firmly rejected the allegations, calling the findings “outrageous.” In a statement, it argued that the report was a clear attempt to undermine Israel’s legitimacy and cover up the activities of terrorist organisations.

“This report shamelessly portrays Israel’s operations in terror-infested health facilities in Gaza as a policy against Gaza’s health system, while entirely dismissing overwhelming evidence that medical facilities in Gaza have been systematically used by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad for terrorist activities,” the statement said.

The Israeli government also denied claims of widespread abuse of Palestinian detainees, stating, “Israel is fully committed to international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees, including the prohibition of excessive use of force and ill-treatment.”

Accusing the commission of creating “an alternate reality,” Israel called on other nations to oppose the report, which it said damages the credibility of the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN commission, formed in May 2021, published its second report since the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, which led to Israel’s invasion of Gaza. The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 42,000 people in Gaza, according to the Palestine Health ministry.