The Society, the world's largest association of scholars specializing in genocide research, said the resolution was voted on Sunday by its members, with more than 86 percent of the 500 members voting in favor.
"Based on a careful analysis of the facts and legal context, we believe that Israel's policies and actions in the Gaza Strip suffice to meet the legal definition of genocide," the association added in a statement.
She pointed out that this definition "was included in Article 2 of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide."
This finding "is based on compelling evidence of the intent to destroy, in part or in whole, a national group, namely the Palestinian people in Gaza, as a specific group," the statement said.
The association, a non-governmental organization founded in 1994, explained that Israel does this through "the widespread mass killing of civilians, including children and women."
She continued: "As well as the systematic destruction of vital civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, bakeries, schools, and water networks."
In addition to "the repeated use of language and practices that dehumanize Palestinians and justify excessive violence against them, the suffocating siege, and the deprivation of the basic necessities of life, including food, water, and medicine."
The association stated that "genocide is not defined solely by the number of victims or the type of weapon used, but by the underlying intent behind the act, inferred from the systematic pattern of crimes, the historical and political context, and the rhetoric used by the perpetrators."
She stressed that "historical impunity for past violations against Palestinians has enabled this mass crime to occur, imposing a legal and moral responsibility on the international community."
The association called on all governments, international institutions, human rights organizations, and media outlets to "recognize that what is happening in Gaza constitutes genocide, and to take immediate steps to protect civilians and stop the aggression."
It also called for "support for accountability efforts, including before international courts, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court."
The Assembly stressed that "the duty to prevent genocide is not limited to states alone, but also extends to the academic community, the media, and the global public."
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She continued, "As scholars specializing in genocide, we believe that silence or neutrality in the face of these crimes is complicity, and the moral and legal position requires us to call things by their proper name."
He concluded by emphasizing that "the ongoing genocide in Gaza is not a conflict, but a major crime that must be stopped immediately."
The Gaza government welcomes the decision.
For its part, the Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip welcomed the decision on Monday, saying in a statement: "We welcome the decision of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, which affirmed that the legal standards have been met to prove that the Israeli occupation committed the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip."
He added, "This prestigious scientific position strengthens the evidence and facts documented before international courts."
On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, is also considering a lawsuit filed by South Africa and supported by several other countries to prosecute Israel for genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
This genocide left 63,557 Palestinians martyred, 160,660 injured, most of them children and women, more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that killed 348 Palestinians, including 127 children.
For decades, Israel has occupied Palestine and territories in Syria and Lebanon, and refuses to withdraw from these territories and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the pre-1967 borders.
