GAZA: A United Nations investigative team examining violence by Israeli settlers and the transfer of weapons to Israel for use in the Gaza war has been forced to halt its work due to a lack of funds, according to internal documents.
The setback underscores how deep financial shortages within the UN, fueled by donor fatigue and budget cuts, are undermining accountability efforts. Earlier this year, a similar inquiry into abuses in Congo also stalled for the same reason.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, created in May 2021 by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, was tasked with collecting evidence that could be used in international prosecutions, including at the International Criminal Court. In 2024, the council granted Pakistan’s request to expand the commission’s mandate to include investigating arms transfers to Israel and violence by Israeli settlers.
But Navi Pillay, who heads the commission and previously served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and as a judge at the ICC, informed the council’s president in an August 6 letter that the inquiry cannot hire staff due to financial constraints. She warned that the mandated reports scheduled for March 2026 will not be produced.
Israel has consistently rejected the commission’s work, accusing it of bias. The inquiry has previously condemned Israeli military actions during the Gaza offensive that followed the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
The UN’s wider financial crisis has been exacerbated by overdue payments from member states, with the United States alone owing an estimated \$1.5 billion. The funding gap has forced the organization to propose a 20% budget cut. Twelve of the Human Rights Council’s 47 members currently owe mandatory fees.
Nada Al Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said investigative teams are now operating at roughly half of their normal staffing levels. She warned that without fresh funding, further mandates will become impossible to fulfill.
