Two prominent Israeli human rights organizations, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), on Monday published separate reports alleging for the first time that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, reported Xinhua.
The B'Tselem report claimed that the Israeli military onslaught on Gaza, underway for more than 21 months, has included mass killings, both directly and through creating unlivable conditions.
This is compounded by mass arrests and abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, which have effectively become torture camps, said the report. It also accused Israel of tearing apart the social fabric of Gaza, including the destruction of Palestinian educational and cultural institutions.
The report said it had reached the conclusion that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The second report, by PHRI, said there is "a deliberate and cumulative dismantling of Gaza's healthcare system, and with it, the population's ability to survive." It noted that this amounts to genocide.
It added that since October 2023, Israel has attacked 33 of the 36 Gaza hospitals and clinics, depriving them of fuel and water.
According to the report, dozens of people die daily from malnutrition. At least 85 children have reportedly starved to death, and 92 percent of infants aged six months to two years don't get enough to eat.
It added that Israel has displaced 9 in 10 Gazans, destroyed or damaged 92 percent of homes, and left over half a million children without schools or stability.
Both organizations called on the international community to stop Israel's offensive to prevent further loss of life in Gaza.
David Mencer, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, on Monday rejected the accusations of genocide, saying it didn't make sense given that Israel had sent 1.9 million tonnes of aid to Gaza, most of it being food.
He said it was an attempt to delegitimize Israel's right of self-defense against Hamas.
- Israeli
- Genocide
- Gaza
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
