Experts pointed to a growing consensus among human rights and academic institutions on this characterization, including Israel's violation of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
In statements to Anadolu Agency, Dr. Jenan Bastaki, an assistant professor at New York University Abu Dhabi, and Professor Martin Shaw, a retired professor of international relations and political science at the University of Sussex, considered what is happening in Gaza to amount to a crime of genocide, based on extensive field and legal evidence.
Experts and specialized research centers have indicated that Israeli policies and attacks on Gaza constitute a flagrant violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This has been confirmed by international organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam, as well as United Nations organizations.
In this context, the International Association of Genocide Scholars announced on Monday that it had adopted a resolution affirming that Israel met the legal criteria for committing genocide in Gaza.
Expert consensus
Dr. Bastaki explained that what distinguishes this consensus is its broad scope, as it includes an alliance of legal experts and human rights organizations, based on field evidence as well as independent legal assessments. She added that reports by organizations such as the Palestinian Al-Haq and Amnesty International not only document the destruction but also provide evidence of "genocidal intent."
Bastaki emphasized that this consensus constitutes a strong incentive to enforce legal accountability before international courts, noting that "the evidence has become overwhelming and difficult to ignore."
She also believed that the growing human rights momentum could open the door to political action at the international level, explaining that the description of what is happening as genocide is no longer limited to a limited circle, but has become more evident in international public opinion, while voices questioning the evidence are declining.
Bastaki emphasized that the reports of accredited human rights organizations carry significant legal weight and can contribute to shaping convictions in international courts, particularly in light of the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice, which includes evidence of a "clear intent" to commit genocide.
She added that the documentation by Israeli soldiers on social media platforms, such as TikTok, of some practices that could be classified as war crimes, along with public statements by a number of Israeli officials, strengthens the legal evidence.
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Responsibility of the international community
Bastaki emphasized that this growing consensus places the international community before its responsibilities, explaining that states have legal and moral obligations to prevent genocide. She noted that continuing to export arms or maintain trade relations with Israel without taking a deterrent stance could constitute a breach of those obligations.
She added that most countries, with the exception of South Africa and Nicaragua, have not exerted sufficient pressure on Israel, which constitutes a failure to fulfill their obligations under international law.
She noted that the consensus among experts also contributed to motivating civil society to exert greater pressure on governments to take action.
For his part, Professor Martin Shaw emphasized that the characterization of what is happening in Gaza as genocide enjoys widespread support among academics working in this field, considering the International Association of Genocide Scholars' decision to represent a crucial development.
He noted that this position, which began to crystallize in October 2023, had become a consensus among leading experts in 2024, and he expected the International Court of Justice to confirm this characterization in the future.
Shaw stressed the need for the international community to impose sanctions on Israel to limit its ability to continue operations, considering that "urgent action to halt the bombing and starvation policies in Gaza is an urgent humanitarian and legal necessity."
Since March 2, Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, preventing any food, medical treatment, or humanitarian aid from entering the Strip. This has plunged the Strip into famine, despite the backlog of aid trucks at its borders.
Israel sometimes allows the entry of very limited quantities of aid, which fail to meet the minimum needs of the starving population and do not end the famine, especially since most trucks are robbed by gangs that the Gaza government claims are protected by Israel.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 64,368 Palestinians dead, 162,367 injured, most of them children and women, more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 382 Palestinians, including 135 children.
