Israeli Rights Groups Accuse Government of Genocide in Gaza, Officials Reject Claims

Two Israeli human rights organizations, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), have accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The groups presented their findings in separate reports released Monday, based on investigations covering the past 21 months of conflict.

In a joint statement, the organizations said it was crucial to "call things by their name" and urged an immediate end to what they described as a crime. B'Tselem's executive director, Yuli Novak, stated at a Jerusalem news conference that the report was "one that we never imagined we would have to write." The 88-page report from B'Tselem concluded that Israeli policy in Gaza, combined with statements from senior officials, amounted to "co-ordinated action to intentionally destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip."

PHRI's 65-page report focused on the health sector, alleging that Israel had targeted Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in a "calculated and systematic" way. The report described evidence of deliberate attacks on hospitals, obstruction of medical aid, forced evacuations, and the killing and detention of healthcare workers. Dr. Guy Shalev, PHRI's executive director, said, "Silence in the face of genocide is not an option," and called for urgent action from the global health community.

Both organizations acknowledged the "horrific and criminal Hamas attack" on Israel on 7 October 2023 as a triggering event that caused widespread trauma among Israelis. However, they argued that Israel's response involved the promotion of extremist ideologies and the dehumanization of Palestinians in Gaza, including language from leaders that labeled all Gazans as responsible. PHRI asserted that the acts identified were "not incidental to war but part of a deliberate policy targeting Palestinians as a group," fulfilling criteria outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention, to which Israel is a signatory.

An Israeli government spokesperson strongly rejected the genocide accusations, which are the first of their kind from Israeli-based human rights groups.