Amnesty International publishes report alleging that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

December 2024

Amnesty has published the results of a comprehensive study of Israeli actions in Gaza and has concluded that they amount to the crime of genocide and contrary to Article II of the Geneva Convention. This is essentially killing members of a group and causing serious physical or mental harm to a group. Genocide is distinguished from other forms of war crime by the concept of intent. The report is comprehensive and is over 300 pages long. It took into account a wide range of evidence including video, interviews, IDF footage, analysis of Israeli politician’s statements and other factors.

Amnesty International complemented these interviews with its analysis of visual and digital evidence. This included an extensive range of evidence like satellite imagery, video footage, and photographs. These were posted on social media or obtained directly by its researchers. It authenticated and, where possible, geolocated video footage and photographs. It reviewed an extensive collection of media reports, statements, reports and data sets published by UN agencies and humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, as well as Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups. It reviewed statements by senior Israeli government and military officials and official Israeli bodies, including spokespersons of the Israeli military and the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a unit within Israel’s Ministry of Defense tasked with administering civilian matters in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

Judging intent is always difficult although there are many statements from politicians which are quite open on this point. Other factors include:

• Attacks using a wide range of ordinances including 2,000 lb bombs. Some is wide area ordinance which clearly cannot be targeted,
• many attacks are carried out between 11pm and 4am when people are asleep,
• some attacks are carried out without warnings,
• the buffer zone surrounding Gaza has been increased by 16% with explosive charges laid. This has seriously degraded the agricultural potential of this land,
• waste water management systems and associated pipework has been destroyed,
• the largest displacement of people (1.1 million) since the 1948 Nakba,
• promises about allowing increased numbers of aid trucks have not been met.

The ferocity of the attacks and the scale of destruction in Gaza with a death now around 44,000 is horrifying. The report needs to be read in full to grasp the extent of the evidence which has been painstakingly assembled. It has many similarities to the UN report we posted a day or so ago.

Amnesty International sought to include a response from Israeli authorities to this report and the Israeli Foreign Ministry has said ‘The deplorable and fanatical organization Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies.’ It is a pity a more reasoned or forensic response is not available.

The US has also issued a statement disagreeing with Amnesty’s conclusions. It is also reported that Amnesty in Israeli does not support the conclusions, although according to Haaretz, there seem to be differences of opinion.

Readers will have to examine the copious evidence provided by both Amnesty and the UN to come to their own conclusions on this matter. The attack by Hamas on 7 October was a fearful act with 223 hostages taken and 1,200 killed some brutally. It was clearly a war crime. It caused immense shock in Israel who enjoyed massive military and security superiority. It can be argued that the country has the right to defend itself. The question here is whether the scale of destruction and the death toll of women and children is justified. Is the seizure of land proportionate? Are the forced displacements (sometimes several times over) and destruction of medical facilities and other infrastructure justified? Or does it, as this and other reports claim, amount to a deliberate attempt to crush an entire population?

A key question is proportionality. Has the response been proportionate? It would seem from the evidence it hasn’t been. Another question is effectiveness. Will it achieve security and peace with its neighbours? Unlikely. It will leave a legacy of bitterness which will erupt at some future time. The complete elimination of Hamas is impossible.

Most important of all is the moral dimension which seldom gets an airing. Western nations – most particularly the US but the UK as well – are shielding Israel and enabling it to continue the horror unabated. The notion of a ‘rules based order’ which came into being after WWII has been abandoned. Israel has gone to great lengths to prevent coverage from reaching our screens. It has banned both the UN and journalists from entering Gaza. Nevertheless, we have seen what is happening on our screens on a more or less daily basis. We cannot say we do not know. Is the Labour government compromised? It has a sizeable number of MPs, including the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, who are members of Labour Friends of Israel. The group has declined to confirm who funds them. History will judge them harshly.

Sources: Amnesty International, Electronic Intifada, Share the World’s Resources; Guardian, Haaretz; Israel Foreign Ministry; Declassified UK; Labour Friends of Israel.