In a landmark report released on Thursday, London-based human rights organization Amnesty International has concluded that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, amount to genocide against Palestinians.
Titled ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, the report documents of the Israeli military’s operations, highlighting what they describe as a deliberate intent to destroy the population in Gaza.
The report examines several key aspects of Israel’s offensive, including the killing of civilians, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcible displacement, the obstruction of humanitarian aid, and the restriction of needs like power. Amnesty International asserts that these actions meet at least three of the five acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, namely killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction.
Amnesty International has called for immediate international action, urging countries to cease arms transfers to Israel, implement a comprehensive arms embargo, and call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of civilian hostages held by Hamas. The organization also demands that Israel comply with previous International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need in Gaza.
Israel has vehemently denied these allegations, describing them as baseless and accusing Amnesty International of bias. The Israeli government insists that its operations target Hamas, not the Palestinian civilian population, despite the widespread devastation and high civilian casualty figures reported.
