On Monday 1 September, the Association of Leading Genocide Scholars announced that Israel’s policies in the Gaza Strip meet the legal criteria for genocide, according to the association’s president.

Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

According to Reuters, the decision was supported by 86% of the 500 members of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, confirming that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide under Article II of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)”.

The resolution called on Israel to immediately cease acts classified as genocide and to comply with international standards for the protection of civilians, emphasizing the international community’s responsibility to monitor the situation and ensure the protection of human rights in the region.

Israel continues its war of extermination in Gaza, which is approaching its third year, leaving more than 62,000 martyrs and tens of thousands of wounded and missing, in addition to destroying the education and health sectors, targetting journalists, and deliberately creating a famine that has led to the deaths of hundreds, most of them children.

This decision is an exceptional step by the Association of Scholars in highlighting possible violations of international law in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and reflects the importance of the role of legal experts and researchers in monitoring policies and assessing their impact on civilians.

Featured image via the Canary