HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: In a landmark report published on Thursday (5 December), Amnesty International accused that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The report, ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, details alleged systematic actions, including killings, severe bodily and mental harm, and deliberate infliction of life-threatening conditions, all aimed at physically destroying Palestinians in Gaza.
The London-based human rights group report’s findings come amidst a brutal Israeli military campaign following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks.
By 7 October 2024, more than 42,000 Palestinians, including 13,300 children, had been killed, and over 97,000 injured.
Entire communities were wiped out, and critical infrastructure destroyed, rendering Gaza uninhabitable.
Amnesty said its conclusions were based on months of research, incident analysis, and statements by Israeli officials, marking the first time the group has determined genocide during an active armed conflict.
Under the 1948 Genocide Convention, genocide is defined as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.”
Amnesty asserts that Israel has violated this definition by committing at least three of the five acts listed in the convention: killings, causing serious harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to destroy a protected group.
Israel has consistently rejected allegations of genocide, maintaining that its actions comply with international law and are focused on self-defence following Hamas’s attacks. Israeli officials argue that Hamas uses civilian areas as shields, complicating military operations.
Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard presented the findings in The Hague, stating, “This conclusion was not reached lightly. After six months of in-depth, focused research, we are convinced there is a genocide being committed.”
The report analysed military offensives over the past nine months, which Amnesty claims exacerbated an existing system of apartheid and unlawful occupation. Researchers conducted 212 interviews, reviewed satellite imagery, and verified audiovisual evidence of repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Amnesty also highlighted public statements by Israeli officials that allegedly dehumanised Palestinians, arguing that these actions demonstrate an intent to annihilate Palestinians in Gaza.
Callamard stated, “The assertion that Israel’s war in Gaza aims solely to dismantle Hamas, without intent to physically destroy Palestinians as a national and ethnic group, simply does not withstand scrutiny.”
Humanitarian Crisis
The report criticised Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid, claiming it contributed to starvation and disease, particularly among children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Amnesty found no evidence that aid diversion by Hamas justified the extreme restrictions imposed on Gaza.
“Our research reveals that Israel has persisted in committing genocidal acts, fully aware of the irreparable harm inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza. This has occurred despite warnings from the international community and legally binding decisions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanding humanitarian relief,” Callamard said.
Global Implications and Accountability
The report also accused key arms suppliers, including the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, of complicity in genocide, urging an immediate halt to weapons transfers.
“These atrocities must serve as a wake-up call to the global community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” Callamard concluded.
Amnesty has called for urgent international intervention to address the crisis, asserting that Israel’s actions in Gaza represent an unprecedented humanitarian and legal failure that demands accountability.
ICC Warrants Target Gaza Conflict Actions
Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, citing alleged war crimes related to the Gaza conflict.
The United Nations Special Committee investigating Israeli practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories released a damning report in November, accusing Israel of actions consistent with genocide in Gaza.
The report detailed widespread civilian casualties, life-threatening conditions for Palestinians, and violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
“Since the war began, Israeli officials have publicly supported policies depriving Palestinians of essential resources—food, water, and fuel,” the Committee stated.
“These actions, alongside systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid, demonstrate an intent to manipulate life-saving supplies for political and military objectives,” it concluded.
