For the first time, two prominent Israeli human rights organizations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, released reports on July 28 accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. B’Tselem stated that “an examination of Israel’s policy in the Gaza Strip and its horrific outcomes, together with statements by senior Israeli politicians and military commanders about the goals of the attack, leads to the unequivocal conclusion that Israel is taking coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip.”
Physicians for Human Rights added, detailing a “deliberate, cumulative dismantling of Gaza’s health system, and with it, its people’s ability to survive. This amounts to genocide.” The organizations emphasized that this crime must be stopped immediately, with responsibility falling not only on Israel but also on the international community.
Amnesty International had previously accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, while Human Rights Watch alleges that Israeli authorities are enforcing conditions intended to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian population. In a joint statement, 109 humanitarian organizations warned that the Israeli blockade constitutes “forced mass starvation.” The accusations of genocide add a new and grave dimension to the international debate on the situation in Gaza.
