Gaza City Reduced to Rubble as Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Genocide

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Much of Gaza City has been reduced to rubble, and trucks with food aid are still finding it difficult to get deliveries to the civilian population of Gaza.

Amnesty International Report

Amnesty International has issued a new report accusing Israel of ‘genocide’. The report, ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, states that “during its military offensive launched in the wake of the deadly Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel has unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians in Gaza brazenly, continuously and with total impunity.”

Israel’s Response

Israel says the report is “entirely false and based on lies”, while denouncing the London-based human rights watchdog as a “deplorable and fanatical organization”. The group released a report Thursday in which it concluded that Israel and its military have violated the 1948 United Nations-backed Genocide Convention, which defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.

Facts and Figures

The nearly 300-page report covered a nine-month period beginning in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants that ended with 1,200 people killed and 250 others taken hostage. Israel launched a massive ground and aerial campaign on the Palestinian enclave in response.

Amnesty said it came to its conclusion based on hundreds of “dehumanizing and genocidal statements” by Israeli officials, as well as ground reports from Gaza. The report said 15 Israeli airstrikes carried out between October 2023 through April 2024 killed 334 civilians, including 141 children, but Amnesty said there was no evidence that any of the strikes were directed at military objectives.

Call to Action

Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary-general, said in the report that the group’s findings “must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide”. Callamard said the United States, Israel’s major international ally, and other nations who provide Israel with weapons are at risk of being complicit with genocide.

Conclusion

The situation in Gaza is dire, with the civilian population bearing the brunt of the conflict. The international community must take action to protect the rights of Palestinians and hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable.

FAQs

Q: What is the purpose of the Amnesty International report?
A: The report accuses Israel of genocide and provides evidence of human rights violations committed during the conflict in Gaza.

Q: What is the response of Israel to the report?
A: Israel has denied the allegations, calling the report “entirely false and based on lies”.

Q: What is the impact of the conflict on the civilian population of Gaza?
A: The conflict has resulted in the destruction of infrastructure, displacement of civilians, and loss of life, with more than 44,500 Palestinians killed, including over half women and children.

Q: What is the role of the international community in addressing the situation in Gaza?
A: The international community must take action to protect the rights of Palestinians, hold those responsible for human rights violations accountable, and provide humanitarian aid to those in need.