The largest academic organisation focused on genocide studies has announced a resolution indicating that the legal standards have been satisfied to declare that Israel is perpetrating genocide in Gaza, according to a statement from its president on Monday.
A significant majority, specifically eighty-six per cent, of the voters within the 500-member International Association of Genocide Scholars supported a resolution that asserts Israel’s “policies and actions in Gaza” fulfil the legal criteria established in Article II of the 1948 UN Convention on genocide.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the statement as disgraceful, asserting that it is “entirely based on Hamas’ campaign of lies.” Israel has consistently rejected allegations that its actions in Gaza constitute genocide, arguing that they are warranted as acts of self-defence. The entity is currently engaged in a legal battle at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, facing accusations of genocide.
In October 2023, Israel initiated an offensive against the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas, the militant group governing the area. This assault resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250 hostages from Israeli communities.
Since that time, military operations conducted by Israel have resulted in the deaths of 63,000 individuals, inflicted significant damage or destruction on the majority of structures within the territory, and compelled nearly all residents to evacuate their homes at least once. A global hunger monitor, utilised by the United Nations, reports that some regions of the territory are currently experiencing an artificial famine, a claim that Israel has refuted.
A three-page resolution has been issued urging Israel to “immediately cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.” The document highlights concerns over deliberate attacks on civilians, including children, as well as issues related to starvation, deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other essential items for survival. It also addresses sexual and reproductive violence and the forced displacement of the population.
The report asserts that the Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered the conflict, amounted to international crimes.
“This is a definitive statement from experts in the field of genocide studies that what is happening on the ground in Gaza constitutes genocide,” said Melanie O’Brien, the association’s president and a professor of international law at the University of Western Australia specialising in genocide, in an interview with Reuters.
“She emphasized that there is no justification for the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, even in the name of self-defense.”
The convention was adopted in response to the atrocities of the Holocaust.
The 1948 UN Genocide Convention, established in response to the horrific mass murder of Jews by Nazi Germany, articulates genocide as actions undertaken “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such”. All nations are called upon to take action to prevent and halt genocide.
Since its establishment in 1994, the genocide scholars’ association has adopted nine resolutions that acknowledge both historical and ongoing events as genocides.
The IAGS is known for its journal and for organising regular international conferences that bring together scholars focused on the study of genocide, establishing itself as the most prominent academic organisation in this field. The International Network of Genocide Scholars is another organisation that conducts conferences and publishes a journal; however, it does not produce resolutions akin to those of other groups.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, who leads the media office for the Hamas-run government in Gaza, expressed his approval of the resolution’s esteemed scholarly perspective. He stated that it imposes a legal and moral responsibility on the international community to act swiftly to halt the crime, safeguard civilians, and ensure accountability for the leaders of the occupation.
Sergey Vasiliev, a professor of international law at the Open University in the Netherlands, who is not affiliated with the association, commented to Reuters that the resolution indicates a shift towards mainstream acceptance of this legal assessment within academic circles, especially in the realm of genocide studies.
Multiple international human rights organisations, along with specific Israeli non-governmental organisations, have levelled accusations against Israel, claiming that it has engaged in acts of genocide. In a significant development, hundreds of staff members at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, led by Volker Turk, have formally requested that he characterise the ongoing conflict in Gaza as an unfolding genocide. This request was detailed in a letter obtained by Reuters.
