Amnesty International alleges that Israel aims to physically eliminate Palestinians.
A new Amnesty International report accuses Israel of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The report, titled ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza’, details the killing of civilians, destruction of civilian infrastructure, forced displacement, and the obstruction of humanitarian aid in Gaza since October 2023.
Following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,100 Israeli deaths and over 200 hostages, Israel’s military response has, according to Gaza health officials, caused over 44,500 deaths in Gaza.
Israel’s actions have displaced roughly 1.9 million Palestinians—over 90% of Gaza’s population, according to the UN.
“Israel has consistently treated Palestinians in Gaza as subhuman, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them,” stated Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard, adding that Israel acts “with total impunity.”
Numerous international organizations have condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza since the conflict began.
The UN Human Rights Office reported last month that nearly 70% of verified victims over a six-month period were women and children, raising concerns about “war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes.”
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of crimes including murder, persecution, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war “against the civilian population of Gaza.”
”Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions leveled against it by ICC,” Netanyahu responded.
Israeli officials maintain that their actions are legal and justified by the military objective of eliminating Hamas.
Pope Francis also called for an investigation into whether Israel’s actions constitute genocide.
Amnesty International’s report warns Israel’s main arms suppliers, the US and Germany, that they are “violating their obligation to prevent genocide” and risk “becoming complicit.”
It urges these countries, along with other EU member states and the UK, to “act now to bring Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza to an immediate end.”