ALBAWABA- The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the world’s leading body of experts in genocide research, has formally declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal criteria for genocide under international law.
In a resolution approved by a majority of its members on Sunday, the association said its conclusion was based on “overwhelming evidence” that Israel has pursued policies and actions aimed at the destruction of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The group cited the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide as the basis of its finding.
The resolution points to mass killings of civilians, including women and children, the systematic destruction of vital infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, bakeries, and water networks, as well as the deprivation of food, water, and medicine under Israel’s ongoing blockade.
The association also highlighted the use of dehumanizing rhetoric by senior Israeli officials, some of whom have issued public statements calling for population cleansing or extermination.
According to figures cited in the resolution, Israel’s military campaign since October 2023 has left tens of thousands dead, displaced hundreds of thousands more, and pushed Gaza into famine conditions.
While Israel briefly reopened crossings to allow limited aid in recent weeks, the association said the supplies “fall far short of meeting the basic needs of a starving population.”
“Genocide is not defined solely by numbers of victims or weapons used,” the statement read. “It is also defined by intent, which can be inferred from the consistent pattern of crimes, the political and historical context, and the rhetoric of perpetrators.”
The association warned that decades of impunity for violations against Palestinians have enabled the escalation of mass crimes, placing a legal and moral burden on the international community to act.
It called on governments, international institutions, human rights groups, and the media to recognize that “what is happening in Gaza constitutes genocide” and to take urgent steps to protect civilians.
The statement also urged support for accountability efforts already underway, including cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the ICJ is reviewing a genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel.
“As genocide scholars, we stress that silence or neutrality in the face of such crimes is complicity,” the association said. “The ongoing genocide in Gaza is not a conflict but a crime of the highest order that must be stopped immediately.”
