300-page report points to deliberate attacks on civilians
\n JERUSALEM
\nAmnesty International accused Israel Thursday of \u201ccommitting genocide\u201d against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war last year, saying its new report was a \u201cwake-up call\u201d for the world
\nThe London-based human rights group said its findings were based on satellite images documenting devastation, fieldwork and ground reports from Gazans as well as \u201cdehumanising and genocidal statements by Israeli government and military officials\u201d.
\nAmnesty chief Agnes Callamard accused Israel of treating the Palestinians in Gaza \u201cas a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them\u201d.
\n\u201cOur damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,\u201d she said in a statement.
\nCallamard insisted at a press conference in The Hague that \u201cthe existence of military objectives does not negate the possibility of a genocidal intent\u201d.
\nShe said Amnesty had based its findings on the criteria set out in the UN Convention on the Prevention of Genocide.
\nAmnesty\u2019s 300-page report points to \u201cdirect deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructures where there was no Hamas presence or any other military objectives\u201d as well as the blocking of aid deliveries, and the displacement of 90 percent of Gaza\u2019s 2.4 million people.
\nPalestinians have been subjected to \u201cmalnutrition, hunger and diseases\u201d and exposed to a \u201cslow, calculated death\u201d, Amnesty said.
\nThe rights group, which is also due to publish a report on the crimes committed by Hamas, cited 15 air strikes in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and April 20, which killed 334 civilians, including 141 children, for which the group found \u201cno evidence that any of these strikes were directed at a military objective\u201d.
\nThe Amnesty report also referenced dozens of calls by Israeli officials and soldiers for the annihilation, destruction, burning or \u201cerasure\u201d of Gaza.
\nSuch statements highlighted \u201csystemic impunity\u201d as well as \u201can environment that emboldens… such behaviour\u201d.
\n\u201cGovernments must stop pretending that they are powerless to terminate Israel\u2019s occupation, to end apartheid and to stop the genocide in Gaza,\u201d Callamard said.
\n\u201cStates that transfer arms to Israel violate their obligations to prevent genocide under the convention and are at risk of becoming complicit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
300-page report points to deliberate attacks on civilians JERUSALEM Amnesty International accused Israel Thursday of \u201ccommitting genocide\u201d against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war last year, saying its new report was a \u201cwake-up call\u201d for the world The London-based human rights group said its findings were based on satellite images documenting devastation, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":447878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-447852","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n