Genocide:
Is there any truth to the accusation that Israel is engaging in genocide against the Palestinian people?
According to the UN: “To constitute genocide, there must be a proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. Cultural destruction does not suffice, nor does an intention to simply disperse a group”.
In the present UN Convention, "genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
- Killing members of the group;
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."
Hamas has openly declared its intention to destroy Israel and the Jewish people.
Since 7th October, the IDF has been carrying out counter-attacks in Gaza in order to destroy Hamas.
Although these have led to much secondary damage and especially a very high number of Palestinian civilian casualties, (according to unverified Hamas figures) the IDF has continually stressed that it is not targeting the Palestinian population in Gaza and has taken precautions, repeatedly urging civilians to evacuate military target areas.
Hamas are nonetheless using the term genocide to describe Israel’s action in the Gaza strip.
Previous conflicts have sadly resulted in huger losses of civilian life, e.g. the US military killing over 46,000 civilians in Afghanistan, close to 200,000 in Iraq and over 130,000 in Syria in the post 9/11 era.
Learn More:
The UN Convention Genocide Definition
South Africa's Case Against Israel - A Misuse of the ICJ
Will the Hague Find Israel Guilty of Genocide?
BICOM - Unpacking Israel v South Africa at the ICJ
UK Lawyers for Israel Briefing Notes on the War in Gaza
Colonel Richard Kemp on the IDF
Ethics of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF)
Hamas Admits Using Human Shields
Israeli Spokesperson Sharing Some Hard Truths about Hamas with the BBC
UCDP
Unpacked
NGO
AJC
