Sep 1 – The world’s leading association of genocide scholars has declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
A resolution passed by the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) states that Israel’s conduct meets the legal definition as laid out in the UN convention on genocide.
Across a three-page resolution, the IAGS presents a litany of actions undertaken by Israel throughout the 22-month-long war that it recognises as constituting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The IAGS is the world’s largest professional association of genocide scholars and includes a number of Holocaust experts. Out of its 500 members, 28% took part in the vote and 86% of those who voted supported the resolution.
In a summary of Israeli policies and actions, the declaration notes the widespread attacks on both the personnel and facilities needed for survival, including in the healthcare, aid, and educational sectors.
Among many other elements, it notes the 50,000 children killed or injured by Israel, as highlighted by UN aid organisation Unicef, which impacts the ability of Palestinians in Gaza to survive as a group and regenerate.
The resolution also highlights the support among Israeli leaders for the forced expulsion of all Palestinians from Gaza, alongside Israel’s near-total demolition of housing in the territory.
The IAGS notes the statements by Israeli leaders dehumanising Palestinians in Gaza, characterising them all as the enemy, alongside promises to “flatten Gaza” and turn it into “hell”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the report was based on “Hamas lies” and poor research, calling it an “embarrassment to the legal profession”. A spokesperson added that it was Israel itself which is the victim of genocide.
Israel has regularly denied that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide and says they are justified as a means of self-defence.
The IAGS scholars state that while the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack – in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage – was itself a crime, Israel’s response has not only been directed against Hamas but has targeted Gaza’s entire population.
The 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which was adopted following the mass murder of Jews by Nazi Germany, defines genocide as crimes committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.
A number of leading rights organisations, including two Israeli organisations, have also declared they believe Israel is committing genocide.
The UN and a number of Western nations have said that they will only consider a ruling by a court that genocide is taking place as authoritative.
The UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice, is currently considering a case brought by South Africa in 2023 that argues that Israel is committing genocide. The ICJ has not yet made a determination on the subject and has granted Israel an extension until January 2026 to present its defence.
Israel has accused the case of having antisemitic motivations, calling it a “blood libel”, in reference to historic allegations that Jewish communities ritually murder Christian children.
The IAGS say their resolution has no bearing on any case put forward to an international court.
On Monday, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health said that 63,557 people had been killed and 160,660 injured during the war so far. The ministry’s numbers are widely considered reliable yet they do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
In August, the UN-backed food monitor, the IPC, confirmed that famine was taking place in parts of Gaza. Israel is accused of causing the famine through ongoing restrictions on food and medical aid entering Gaza.
Israel controls all border crossings into the Gaza Strip, and as the occupying power bears responsibility for protecting civilian life under international law, which includes the prevention of starvation.
