MONITORING (SW) – Amnesty International accused Israel of “committing genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the bombardment last year, saying its new report was a “wake-up call” for the international community.
The London-based rights organisation said its findings were based on “dehumanising and genocidal statements by Israeli government and military officials”, satellite images documenting devastation, fieldwork and ground reports from Gazans.
“Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them,” Amnesty chief Agnes Callamard said in a statement.
“Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” she added.
“There is absolutely no doubt that Israel has military objectives. But the existence of military objectives does not negate the possibility of a genocidal intent,” Callamard told AFP at a press conference in The Hague.
She said the organisation had based its findings on the criteria set out in the UN Convention on the Prevention of Genocide.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s civil defence agency said that 20 people, including five children, were killed in an Israeli strike on a displacement camp near Khan Younis in the territory’s south.
The agency’s spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP there were “20 martyrs, including five children, and dozens were injured after the occupation (Israel) bombed the tents of the displaced in the Al-Mawasi area” near Khan Yunis.
Israel’s invasion of Gaza Strip, sparked by Hamas’ Oct 7, 2023 attack, surpasses 13 months. At least 44,532 Palestinians and 1163 Israelis have been killed in this conflict so far, according to news reports.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy has travelled to Qatar and Israel to kickstart the US president-elect’s diplomatic push to help reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal before he takes office on Jan. 20, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters.
Steve Witkoff, who will officially take up the position under Trump’s administration, met separately in late November with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the source said.
