Gaza [Palestinian], December 6: Amnesty International on Thursday accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying the Israeli military intentionally committed war crimes.
In a 300-page report, the human rights organization argued that the Israeli army has brought suffering and destruction to the people living in Gaza. "Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now," the group's secretary general Agnes Callamard said in a statement.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has denied the allegations, saying the "deplorable and fanatical organization Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies." "Israel is defending itself against these attacks acting fully in accordance with international law," the ministry added.
The trigger for the Gaza conflict was the massacre by the Palestinian group Hamas and others on October 7, 2023, when they invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
Amnesty emphasized that Israel has since aimed to destroy Palestinians as a group. Countries and nations that continue to supply weapons to Israel risk becoming complicit, the report warned.
"States that continue to transfer arms to Israel at this time must know they are violating their obligation to prevent genocide and are at risk of becoming complicit in genocide," Callamard warned.
"All states with influence over Israel, particularly key arms suppliers like the USA and Germany, but also other EU member states, the UK and others, must act now to bring Israel's atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza to an immediate end."The organization is calling for an immediate end to what it says is genocide, the establishment of a ceasefire, and the release of all hostages.
The Israeli government has ignored countless warnings about the catastrophic humanitarian situation and disregarded measures from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), argued Julia Duchrow, secretary general of Amnesty International in Germany.
The ICJ has called on Israel to ensure humanitarian supplies in Gaza. "Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza," Callamard wrote.
Israel has been engaging heavily with ground troops and airstrikes against Hamas in the densely populated coastal strip, home to more than 2 million people, for over a year.
According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 44,500 people have died so far, and around 105,500 have been injured. A large portion of residential buildings and infrastructure has been destroyed. Aid organizations are warning of a famine.
Source: Qatar Tribune