Israel committing genocide in Gaza, landmark Amnesty report finds

Amnesty International has issued its first-ever genocide determination during an ongoing conflict, alleging that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide under international law, according to a report published on Thursday.

The 32-page document, examining events from October 2023 to July 2024, claims Israel has “brazenly, continuously and with total impunity … unleashed hell” on Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, whilst noting that Hamas’s “atrocity crimes” of October 7, 2023 “do not justify genocide”.

The report claims Israel has violated the Genocide Convention through killing, causing serious harm, and deliberately imposing life-threatening conditions on Palestinians in Gaza with “specific intent to destroy” the population.

Amnesty’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard called the findings “a wake-up call”, demanding immediate action to stop what the organisation describes as genocide.

The rights group cites several key factors, including the unprecedented scale of military operations, deliberate obstruction of aid, destruction of medical infrastructure, and forced displacement of 90% of the population to unsuitable areas.

Kristine Beckerle, an adviser to Amnesty’s Middle East team, identified Israel’s May offensive on Rafah as a crucial turning point in establishing intent, noting it was the last relatively safe area and main aid entry point.

The report calls for UN intervention to enforce a ceasefire, targeted sanctions on Israeli and Hamas officials, and an end to western arms sales to Israel.

It also urges the International Criminal Court to add genocide to its ongoing war crimes investigation.

Amnesty says the report is based on fieldwork, 212 interviews with victims and witnesses, digital evidence analysis, and over 100 statements from Israeli officials.

The organisation shared its findings with Israeli authorities but received no response.

The report acknowledges potential resistance to finding genocidal intent regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza, given the historical context of the Holocaust and the subsequent creation of the Jewish state and Geneva conventions.