Israel committing genocide in Gaza, world’s top scholars on the crime say

[Everexpanding]

An overwhelming majority of members of the world’s leading genocide scholars’ association have backed a resolution stating that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of the crime.
Eighty-six per cent of those who voted in the 500-member International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) supported the motion. The resolution states that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in article II of the United Nations convention for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide (1948).”

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/01/israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-worlds-top-scholars-on-the-say

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About all there is to say is that the government (David Lammy) says Israel is not committing genocide.
It does not say why not. It does not list actions and statements of intent and say why those are not genocidal.

It also does not say how ‘preventing’ genocide lines up with first waiting to see if genocide has occurred.

It does not say how it what the U.K. will do to prevent more deaths and destruction regardless of what that is called.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/08/spanish-pm-pedro-sanchez-israel-exterminating-defenceless-people-gaza

Israel’s expanded assault on Gaza City will endanger lives of ‘countless civilians’, charity warns – Middle East crisis live

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/sep/09/israel-gaza-city-evacuation-order-idf-military-offensive-live-updates-middle-east-crisis-latest-news

Israel committing genocide? Strange. On October 7, 2023, the population of the Gaza Strip was around two million.
On September 8, 2025, the population of the Gaza Strip is still around two million.

That’s not the definition of genocide.

I didn’t realise they were able to do a mid-war census to check the population. Where are the results online? Or at least a reliable death count so we know how the 2m might’ve been reduced during the conflict.

Yes, it’s an ugly war (started by Hamas) but it’s never been a genocide. I’m glad the UK government has now acknowledged that.

Its a genocide. One that Netanyahu will continue at any cost. One that he will go to any lengths to continuously sabotage any ceasefire deals. Because if a deal goes through he can't continue his genocide of the Palestinians.

Yesterday, it seemed there was once again a possibility of a ceasefire. Today the IDF bombed the negotiators. What a surprise? The devil works hard, but not as hard as Netanyahu.

I find this statement disappointing to be honest. The ICJ proceeding are ongoing, with Israel submitting a response/evidence by Jan 26 (they asked for an extension I think). Referring to the proceedings as some sort of proof of lack of genocide doesn’t seem right when they haven’t actually concluded. I understand the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ idea but there’s no real consequence to Israel continuing as is and risking more innocent lives (including the poor hostages).

I worry that we’ll look back and realise the law could and should’ve been used to save many people’s lives rather than retrospectively confirm what a lot of people were worried about.

The definition of genocide is 'the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.'
I understand that the International Court of Justice says Israel is not committing genocide.
If Israel wanted to eliminate Gazans, they could easily have done that by now.
Israel's stated aim is to eliminate Hamas, not Gazans. Hamas' stated aim is to eliminate Israel.

The ICJ haven’t concluded anything. They’ve given Israel pretty strict guidelines re allowing aid into Gaza though (amongst other things. The case probably won’t conclude for a couple of years, at least. So that’s not enough reason to stop worrying.

I’ve written similar elsewhere but Israel would lose all respect/credibility if they just nuked Gaza. Their economy would tank. Their reputation would be destroyed. No one tends to say “we’re going to commit genocide” - intent is never easy to find because there will always be multiple motives in war. But starving a population, flattening Gaza and displacing almost its entire population, systematically destroying medical infrastructure, militarising aid: none of that suggests the current Israeli government have any regard for civilians in Gaza. Whether that’ll be legally confirmed as genocide, we shall see, but it should cause concern/outrage.

No one tends to say “we’re going to commit genocide” - intent is never easy to find because there will always be multiple motives in war.

You’re joking, right?

The Nazi’s had many, many meetings with officials and officers at senior levels discussing the implementation of the final solution. It was well documented.

In Rwanda, documentation showed that the genocide had been planned for 4 years. In additional, instructions were given over radio broadcasts to kill.

Genocide is a very specific act, which is planned. It’s not just deaths in war.

You think BN, Government officials and IDF officers are actually sitting down, discussing, planning and implementing the extermination of Palestinians?

If so, why are we not seeing what is happening in Gaza happen in the West Bank?

Yes I thought that was a bizarre comment Hamas and Iran are pretyy clear what they would like to do too.

So are many Israelis

Are we just going to ignore the 60,000+ civilians killed? Genocide isn’t about wiping out every last person- it’s about the intent to destroy a group in whole or in part. Killing tens of thousands, starving millions, bombing “safe zones,” and blocking aid fits the legal criteria far more than pointing to a static population figure does.

Nissim Vaturi member of the Knesset :

Erase Gaza. Nothing else will satisfy us. It is not acceptable that we have a terrorist authority next to Israel. Do not leave a child there to expel all the remaining ones at the end, so that they will not have a resurrection.

Exactly

Rabbi Eliyahu Mali :

When an audience member asked about babies he replied: ”The same… The Torah is saying: ‘You shall not let a soul remain alive’… Today he’s a baby, tomorrow he’s a boy, tomorrow he’s a warrior.”
In the talk, the rabbi also recounted what he said to his son, who went to fight after the 7 October attacks. He said he should “kill everything that moves”. He explained his position by adding that his son’s commander had told him the same thing and that he instructed his son to ”listen to the commander’s orders”.

www.bbc.com/news/articles/cze5w2wd4x0o.amp

It’s not even hard to find quotes from Israeli government showing intent.

The Nazi’s had many, many meetings with officials and officers at senior levels discussing the implementation of the final solution. It was well documented.

So it was discussed in private at a senior level? As I said - not broadcast to the world openly.

In Rwanda, documentation showed that the genocide had been planned for 4 years. In additional, instructions were given over radio broadcasts to kill.

Again, are these not private meetings that we now know about because of the benefit of time? I’m sure a lot will one day come out about what is happening in Gaza. Sadly, we don’t have the info now.

Hamas planned 7/10 - a genocide - and no one knew. Without hindsight, it’s hard to spot these things until it’s too late.

Genocide is a very specific act, which is planned. It’s not just deaths in war.
This we can agree on - there are different ways of going about this terrible aim though.

You think BN, Government officials and IDF officers are actually sitting down, discussing, planning and implementing the extermination of Palestinians?

Smotrich (Finance minister)

• Wants to “erase the Palestinian state” by “correcting” Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank during the 2005 Disengagement.
• “The people of Israel are correcting the sin of Gaza,” he said, referring to the push among settler activists to reestablish the Gush Katif settlement bloc
• “Gaza will be entirely destroyed, civilians will be sent to... the south to a humanitarian zone without Hamas or terrorism, and from there they will start to leave in great numbers to third countries”
• “No one in the world will allow us to starve 2 million people, even though it might be justified and moral in order to free the hostages.“
• “not even a grain of wheat” should be allowed into Gaza.
• re settler development in the West Bank: “This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

• Israel was “fighting human animals,” in announcing a complete siege on Gaza.
• “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,”

Deputy Knesset speaker Nissim Vaturi

• Israelis had one common goal, “erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth.”

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu

• suggested that Israel drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza and said there were “no uninvolved civilians” in the territory.

Ben-Gvir - National Security Minister

• Talking about the US: “They expressed support for my very clear position on how to act in Gaza and that the food and aid depots should be bombed in order to create military and political pressure to bring our hostages home safely,”
• said the resumption of aid deliveries into Gaza was a “serious and grave mistake.”

These are a selection of things that have been shared publicly. There are many more examples but there’s only so much hatred I can take in one go. I would hate to think what is said in private meetings about what they’d like to do in Gaza and the WB

If so, why are we not seeing what is happening in Gaza happen in the West Bank?
Let’s see what the WB looks like in a few months (in light of Smotrich’s quotes). There’s already talk of annexing most of it. Have a google and see for yourself.

Changing the subject slightly here...(but of course, it's a bloody genocide) I just wanted to say I heard about the shindig below on the Off Air with Jane and Fi podcast and I was appalled because they are going and I kind of like(d) them.

Mumsnet is apparently being treated to a glitzy reception in Downing Street shortly to mark its 25th Anniversary. In the same week and in the same building where Starmer is set to be entertaining Israel's genocide-supporting president. I dearly hope that if members of the present Government are present that one or two guests might take it upon themselves to challenge any ministers present about its complicity with Israel and specifically, since we are dealing with Mumsnet here - the IDF's deliberate targeting and continuing murder of Palestinian children. I wouldn't want to set foot in Downing Street right now, so please, somebody, make the most of it. Perhaps Jane and Fi could have a go. (Unlikely).

So it was discussed in private at a senior level?

No - I don’t think you quite get what I’m saying.

This was NOT discussed in private. This was Government policy - it was planned and implemented. That is intent to commit genocide.

As I said - not broadcast to the world openly.

What was happening to Jewish people during WW2 wasn’t a secret.

Nor was the mass slaughter of Tutsi’s in Rwanda.

Intent to commit genocide is clear - Minutes of meetings discussing the extermination of Palestinians, direct orders given to IDF troops etc. That is intent.

What isn’t intent to commit genocide, are comments made by ministers who have no decision making powers in the war.

If so, why are we not seeing what is happening in Gaza happen in the West Bank?

Let’s see what the WB looks like in a few months (in light of Smotrich’s quotes). There’s already talk of annexing most of it. Have a google and see for yourself.

Let’s wait and see isn’t a good enough answer.

No country in Europe was a place of safety for Jewish people during WW2.

Why we aren’t seeing in the West Bank what we are seeing in Gaza has a very straightforward answer - because there is no genocide of Palestinian people happening, and the war in Gaza is a direct response to 7/10 and years of documentation planning a genocide of Palestinians simply does not exist.