Genocide Experts: What’s Happening in Gaza Is Genocide

 

Genocide Experts: What’s Happening in Gaza Is Genocide 

Palestinians bury the bodies of 110 victims of Israeli attacks in a mass grave in the Khan Younis cemetery, 22 November 2023

Unprecedented Statement from the World’s Leading Genocide Scholars

In a landmark academic development, Dutch newspapers NRC and Het Nieuws Maar Dan Anders revealed in May 2024 a joint statement from seven of the world’s most respected genocide scholars. The scholars, from six different countries, concluded that Israeli actions in Gaza amount to genocide under international law.

They based their conclusion on the United Nations definition of genocide, which includes acts such as mass killing, serious bodily or mental harm, forced displacement, and the deliberate creation of living conditions intended to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

Source: https://www.hetnieuwsmaardananders.nl


What Is Genocide According to International Law?

According to the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, genocide includes any of the following acts, when committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group:

  • Killing members of the group

  • Causing serious bodily or mental harm

  • Deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to destroy the group

  • Imposing measures intended to prevent births

  • Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

Source: https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml


“Gaza No Longer Exists” – A Scholar’s Alarm

One of the seven signatories, Professor Amos Goldberg, a Holocaust studies expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, stated:

“What is happening in Gaza is genocide because Gaza no longer exists.”

He pointed to the systematic destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, indiscriminate killing of civilians, and mass displacement as evidence that aligns with the legal definition of genocide.

Source: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2024/10/29/amos-goldberg-what-is-happening-in-gaza-is-a-genocide-because-gaza-does-not-exist-anymore_6730881_23.html


International Court of Justice Recognizes a “Plausible Case”

In January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a provisional ruling acknowledging a “plausible case of genocide” in Gaza. The court ordered Israel to:

  • Prevent genocidal acts such as killing and bodily harm

  • Stop incitement to genocide

  • Ensure humanitarian aid access

  • Preserve evidence related to the alleged crimes

Source: https://www.icj-cij.org/case/192


The First Coordinated Warning from Genocide Experts

According to NRC, this is the first time in modern history that multiple leading genocide scholars have issued a joint public statement warning of an ongoing genocide.

They described the situation in Gaza as a “genocide in progress,” marking a significant moment in academic and legal discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Source: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/05/17/genocide-deskundigen-over-gaza-dit-is-genocide-a4196801


William Schabas: “Clear Genocidal Intent”

International law professor William Schabas, also one of the signatories, highlighted what he described as “clear genocidal intent” expressed through Israeli official rhetoric and military conduct.

He emphasized that intent is a core element in determining genocide under international law.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/26/icj-orders-israel-to-prevent-genocide-in-gaza


Dutch Academics Echo the Warning

A report by Dutch Scholars for Palestine outlined how Israel’s siege, bombing campaigns, and systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure—including hospitals, schools, water, and energy systems—constitute a deliberate effort to destroy life in Gaza.

The report concluded that the pattern of actions taken by Israel meets several of the key criteria laid out in the Genocide Convention.

Source: https://www.dutchscholarsforpalestine.nl/dsp-icj-2024


Conclusion

The academic and legal warnings from some of the world’s foremost genocide scholars should not be taken lightly. Their conclusion—that what is happening in Gaza constitutes genocide—is grounded in law, history, and empirical evidence.

The international community must act urgently and independently to investigate these claims, protect civilians, and ensure accountability for those responsible. We may be witnessing one of the gravest crimes against humanity of the 21st century—unfolding in plain sight.

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