Nadine Osman
Amnesty International formally accused Israel on December 5 of “committing genocide” against the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza. The London-based human rights organisation stated that its findings, based on dehumanising statements by Israeli officials, satellite imagery of widespread destruction, and firsthand accounts, serve as a critical “wake-up call” for the international community.
“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,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General. “Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” she added.
The conflict intensified after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, prompting a deadly Israeli military response. According to AFP, based on official data, the attack killed at least 1,208 people in southern Israel, many of them civilians. Over 44,532 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, have since been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which the UN considers reliable.
“There is absolutely no doubt that Israel has military objectives. But the existence of military objectives does not negate the possibility of genocidal intent,” Callamard remarked at a press conference in The Hague.
Amnesty’s report argues that Israel’s actions align with the criteria for genocide under the UN Convention on the Prevention of Genocide. It points to the targeting of civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, the displacement of 90% of its population, and obstruction of humanitarian aid as evidence.
Israel denies the allegations, accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields. However, Amnesty’s 300-page report highlights “deliberate attacks on civilian areas where no Hamas presence or military objectives existed,” use of heavy explosives in densely populated regions, and the calculated denial of basic supplies, resulting in “malnutrition, hunger and diseases.” Statements from Israeli officials calling for Gaza’s “destruction” or “annihilation” were also cited as contributing to a culture of impunity. Amnesty called for an immediate end to the genocide and urged states to suspend arms transfers to Israel and impose sanctions.
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement echoed Amnesty’s call for targeted sanctions. These include suspending arms transfers, diplomatic and financial pressure, and using economic tools to end the occupation and apartheid regime.
Saleh Hijazi, Policy Coordinator with BDS, stated, “Better late than never! We welcome this report, despite it coming more than a year into Israel’s live-streamed genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip. Amnesty must follow this report with impactful campaigns to pressure states to impose meaningful sanctions, including suspending Israel’s UN membership and dismantling its apartheid regime.”
The BDS movement also urged Amnesty members to intensify efforts to end international complicity with Israel’s actions, calling for collective action to achieve Palestinian liberation.
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