A UN probe on Thursday said there is evidence Israel committed crimes against humanity in responding to last year's protests in Gaza, as snipers targeted people clearly identifiable as children, health workers and journalists.

Israel immediately rejected the findings as "hostile, deceitful and biased."

The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory investigated violations committed during demonstrations in the Gaza strip between March 30 and December 31 of 2018.

"Israeli soldiers committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law," committee chair Santiago Canton said in a statement.

"Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity," he added.

The commission, set up by the UN Human Rights Council in May, said that "more than 6,000 unarmed demonstrators were shot by military snipers" during weeks of protest.