Richard Engel reported on a UN report accusing the Israeli military of committing genocide and war crimes in Gaza.

NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reported on a United Nations-commissioned report accusing the Israeli military of committing genocide and war crimes by deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza. [1, 2]

The broadcast segment, published across official ⁠NBC News TikTok and ⁠NBC News Instagram Reel accounts, covers findings released by an independent UN International Commission of Inquiry. [1]

Key Findings Outlined in the Video

• Casualties and Trauma: The independent UN panel reported that 21,000 Palestinian children died as a direct result of hostilities, with thousands more left severely injured. [1]
• Targeting Allegations: Engel highlights testimony from a doctor within the report. The physician assessed that Israeli soldiers were intentionally shooting teenage boys through sniper scopes as a "game of target practice," tracking varying body parts depending on the day. [1]
• Medical Crises: The report emphasizes that Gaza has the highest incidence of child amputations globally, many of which were forced to be performed without anesthetic. [1]

Official Responses

• United Nations: The independent commission stated that the systematic targeting of children serves as a key indicator of genocidal intent to destroy the Palestinian population. [1]
• Israel: The Israeli Foreign Ministry completely rejected the UN findings, labeling the document as "slander," "propaganda," and a "political blood libel". [1, 2]

Engel's Additional Reporting on the Ground

For independent field context on the humanitarian environment, you can view Engel's complementary long-form reporting. He has documented the physical toll of the conflict firsthand during rare military-chaperoned press access, publishing deep dives like ⁠NBC News' Richard Engel reports from inside Gaza and ⁠Inside Gaza: "I have never seen anything like this" on YouTube, where he evaluates the "utter devastation" and long-term legal and structural implications for the territory.