Amnesty International: Israel's Actions in Gaza Constitute Genocide

On Thursday, December 6, Amnesty International published a report concluding that Israel is committing "genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The report states that Israel has created "hell and destruction" in Gaza in a "brazen and continuous" manner without facing punishment. This is the first report from a prominent human rights organization regarding the 14-month war in Gaza. Amnesty International has called this report a wake-up call for the international community and urged pressure on Israel for "immediate accountability." The organization stated that its findings are based on "inhumane and genocidal statements from Israeli government and military officials," documented satellite images of the destruction, fieldwork, and ground reports from Gaza. Concurrently with the release of this report, Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, stated that Israel has consistently treated the Palestinians of Gaza as those who "do not deserve human rights and dignity" and has demonstrated its intent to "destroy" them. Callamard said this genocide must stop immediately. She added that countries supplying weapons to Israel are violating their commitment to prevent genocide under international conventions and risk being seen as "accomplices" in these events. She noted that while Israel has military objectives in the ongoing war in Gaza, the existence of military objectives does not negate the possibility of genocidal intent. On Thursday, Agnes Callamard, supporting the International Court of Justice's ruling, called for the addition of the "genocide" clause to the charges against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. The 300-page report from Amnesty International refers to "deliberate direct attacks on civilian infrastructure in areas where there were no Hamas or other military targets, the use of heavy explosive weapons causing widespread destruction in densely populated residential areas," and the displacement of 90% of the 2.4 million population of Gaza. The report adds that Palestinians are facing "malnutrition, hunger, and diseases"; a "slow and calculated death." The organization cited 102 statements from Israeli political and military officials and engaged with 212 witnesses, families of the deceased, and various Palestinian officials during its year-long investigation. Amnesty International has announced that it will also publish an independent report on Hamas's actions in this war. The extremist group Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. According to Haaretz, Amnesty International Israel, an independent human rights organization, rejected Amnesty International's report, stating that it has made "baseless" accusations against Israel and supported a "public narrative." The Haaretz newspaper, critical of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, reported that it has information indicating there are "significant disagreements" among Amnesty International's leadership, but the published report narrates a "predetermined conclusion." Yedioth Ahronoth also described the disagreement between Amnesty International and its Israeli branch as "severe." The extremist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory on October 7 last year, killing over 1,200 Israelis, abducting 251 Israelis to Gaza, firing thousands of rockets at Israel, and sending thousands of Hamas fighters into Israeli territory to seize control of various areas, which led to the commencement of the Israeli military's war in Gaza. The extremist group Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Israel has continued the war for the past 425 days with three objectives: to eliminate Hamas's military capabilities, to remove the threat this group poses to the security of the Israeli people, and to find its abducted citizens. Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated earlier this week his opposition to ending the war, stating that Hamas's military capabilities have largely been destroyed, but its governmental capabilities still need to be struck. Israel has repeatedly denied the accusation of "genocide" and emphasized that it has no intention of eliminating the Palestinian population, claiming to be "the only country in the world that, while at war with its enemy, sends hundreds of trucks of food supplies daily to its people." The Israeli army describes itself as an "ethical force" and emphasizes that it "makes every effort to prevent harm to civilians, including issuing warning messages to civilians in areas intended for airstrikes and providing them with opportunities to evacuate." Israel insists that the extremist group Hamas has a long-standing and deliberate approach of using civilians as human shields, conducting its armed activities from within populated areas, and turning schools, mosques, and public places into weapons and rocket storage facilities. The death toll in Gaza during the 14 months of war, according to data from the Hamas-affiliated Ministry of Health, has exceeded 42,000. This organization or Hamas has not mentioned the number of militant casualties, but Israel insists that at least half of the deaths are Hamas fighters, and nearly members of every 24 brigades of Hamas have been killed. Two weeks before Amnesty International's report on Israel's conduct in Gaza, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants against the Prime Minister and the then Minister of Defense of Israel, which Israel has protested, but Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the court, has requested the judges to reject Israel's protest.