Two human rights organizations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), have released reports alleging that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.B’Tselem’s report, as cited in the article, states there is “no doubt” that Israel is perpetrating genocide.The association bases this claim on figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, which reports approximately 60,000 Palestinian deaths. B’Tselem also points to widespread destruction, starvation, displacement, and the systematic denial of humanitarian aid as evidence.
The article notes that the Gaza Health Ministry’s figures are the primary source for casualty data in the absence of self-reliant monitoring on the ground. TIME has stated that these figures do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties and cannot be independently verified by the publication.
PHRI’s report similarly concludes that Israel is “killing, inflicting serious bodily and mental harm, and deliberately imposing conditions of life intended to destroy the Palestinian population in Gaza, in whole or in part.” PHRI asserts that these actions align with the definitions of genocide under Article II of the Genocide Convention and that there is “sufficient evidence” to support this conclusion.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has refuted these allegations, calling them “completely unfounded.” In a statement to TIME, the IDF stated that it is “taking unprecedented measures to prevent harm to civilians” and forcefully rejects the accusation of deliberate starvation. The IDF also affirmed that it is indeed permitting the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza according to government directives and allows international organizations to distribute it.
