Amnesty International report says Israel committing genocide in Gaza

THE HAGUE: Amnesty International has accused the state of Israel of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians during the Gaza conflict, as detailed in a report released on Thursday.

The London-based human rights organization stated that its conclusion was drawn after extensive analysis of various incidents and statements made by Israeli officials over several months.

Amnesty asserted that the legal criteria for genocide had been satisfied, marking its first such assertion during an ongoing armed conflict.

The 1948 Genocide Convention, established in response to the mass extermination of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”

Israel has consistently dismissed any allegations of genocide, asserting that it adheres to international law and possesses the right to defend itself following the Hamas attack from Gaza on October 7, 2023, which triggered the conflict.

“The reprehensible and extremist organization Amnesty International has once again issued a fabricated report that is completely false and based on deceit,” stated Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein on X.

Amnesty’s Israeli branch distanced itself from the conclusions of its parent organization, clarifying that it had not participated in the research and does not believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Nevertheless, it acknowledged in a lengthy statement that the levels of killing and destruction in Gaza have reached “horrifying levels” and called for an investigation into potential crimes against humanity.

Israel initiated its air and ground operations in Gaza following a Hamas-led assault on Israeli communities across the border 14 months ago, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.