Amnesty International has issued a scathing report accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, a claim that has escalated tensions amid the ongoing conflict.
The report, published on Thursday, concludes that Israel’s military actions in Gaza have crossed the legal threshold for genocide, citing evidence from months of research, witness testimonies, and satellite imagery.
Titled “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman”: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, the report presents evidence of at least three of the five acts banned under the 1948 Genocide Convention. These include indiscriminate killings of civilians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting life conditions designed to bring about physical destruction.
Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, said, “Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them.”
The report highlights that despite international warnings and legally binding decisions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) urging Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Israeli government continued its military operations, which Amnesty asserts have caused irreparable harm to Palestinian civilians.
Amnesty International’s findings argue that Israel's actions in Gaza are part of a broader pattern of dispossession, apartheid, and unlawful military occupation, pointing to a clear intent to destroy the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The report challenges Israel’s justification that its military actions are aimed solely at Hamas, claiming that the Israeli military's actions in densely populated areas of Gaza have disproportionately affected civilians. Amnesty stated that Israel’s perspective on Palestinians as "disposable" underscores its genocidal intent.
In addition, the rights group found no credible evidence that the diversion of humanitarian aid by armed groups in Gaza could explain Israel’s restrictions on vital aid to the civilian population. This, Amnesty argues, demonstrates Israel’s deliberate and extreme measures to prevent life-saving assistance from reaching those in need.
Israel has yet to respond to the Amnesty report, but Israeli officials have consistently denied allegations of genocide, claiming their actions are in self-defense following the October 7 attacks by Hamas. They also argue that criticism of their actions is often anti-Semitic.
The report also scrutinizes statements made by Israeli officials, many of whom have publicly dehumanized Palestinians and called for genocidal acts. Amnesty reviewed over 100 statements from senior military and government officials, some of which explicitly justified or endorsed genocidal acts. These statements, the report suggests, provide direct evidence of genocidal intent.
Callamard also condemned the international community for its “seismic, shameful failure” to halt the violence, accusing it of enabling Israel’s actions by delaying calls for a ceasefire and continuing to supply weapons. She called on governments to take immediate and decisive action, saying that the genocide in Gaza must be stopped without further delay.
“The failure of the international community will remain a stain on our collective conscience,” Callamard warned. “Governments must stop pretending they are powerless to end this genocide.”
