5-12-2024 (GAZA) Amnesty International has issued a comprehensive report declaring that Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute genocide under international law, marking the first such determination by a major human rights organisation since the conflict began.
The extensive 32-page assessment, released on Thursday, examines the period between October 2023 and July 2024, concluding that Israeli forces have “brazenly and continuously” conducted operations that meet the legal threshold for genocide against Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
The report details what it describes as systematic violations of the Genocide Convention, including deliberate killing, infliction of serious bodily and mental harm, and creation of living conditions designed to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza.
Drawing from interviews with 212 individuals, including victims, witnesses and medical personnel, alongside extensive digital evidence analysis, the investigation highlights the unprecedented scale of civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction. The rights group emphasises that whilst Hamas’s October 7 attacks were “atrocity crimes”, they do not justify actions meeting the legal definition of genocide.
“The evidence points to a clear pattern of conduct that goes beyond mere violations of international law”, says Budour Hassan, Amnesty’s researcher for Israel and occupied Palestinian territories. The organisation particularly singles out Israel’s May offensive on Rafah as a crucial turning point in establishing genocidal intent.
The report identifies several key indicators, including the systematic destruction of medical facilities, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and forced displacement of 90% of Gaza’s population through widespread evacuation orders.
Recent casualties underscore the ongoing nature of the conflict, with Palestinian health officials reporting 47 deaths on Tuesday, including four children, in airstrikes across Gaza. Twenty-one casualties occurred at a displacement camp near Khan Younis.
The findings are expected to face strong criticism from Israeli authorities, who have consistently rejected similar accusations. The report acknowledges the sensitivity of genocide allegations regarding Israel, given the state’s establishment in the aftermath of the Holocaust.
Amnesty is calling for immediate international action, including a UN-enforced ceasefire, targeted sanctions against Israeli and Hamas officials, and an expansion of the International Criminal Court’s current investigation to include genocide charges.
The report represents the latest challenge to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, following earlier determinations of apartheid by other prominent human rights organisations and a March UN report suggesting “reasonable grounds” for genocide allegations.
