Amnesty International reports Israel is committing genocide in Gaza
The top international human rights NGO concludes a 9-month long investigation into Israel’s operations in Gaza with a report titled: “You feel like you are subhuman - Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza”
The publication, aligned with previous reports by leading human rights experts, genocide scholars and numerous human rights organisations qualifying the Israeli offensive on Gaza as constituting genocide, represents a monumental reference in the current International Law discourse around the topic.
December 6th 2024 - Coming out two weeks after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli government leaders Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza since October 8th 2024, the report published by Amnesty International on December 5th 2024 represents a landmark development in the quest for accountability around the Gaza genocide. It aligns itself with statements and reports by leading authorities on human rights, international crimes and genocide that were made or came out over the past year, qualifying the Israeli policies on Gaza as genocide. Amnesty International, founded in 1961, counts as one of the most authoritative NGOs in the field of human rights and international law, counting over 10 million members worldwide.
Amnesty International conducted in-depth investigations into Israel’s actions against the Palestinian population of Gaza, documenting crimes including:
the killing of civilians;
the destruction of civilian infrastructure;
forcible displacement;
the obstruction of life-saving goods and humanitarian aid;
the restriction of power supplies
while analysing Israeli officials’ statements and the government and military forces’ pattern of conduct in order to assert the Israeli government’s intent to commit genocide, which is a key element in qualifying the crime: the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, an ethnic or national group, in casu the Palestinians in Gaza.
The 296 page-long report contains detailed analysis of the evidence of such intent accompanying the crimes listed above, and was submitted to the ICC by Amnesty with a plea for the Court to expedite its investigation into the situation of Palestine, so justice can be served. Amnesty reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for all States to take decisive action to stop the genocide, such as immediately imposing sanctions on Israel and arresting all suspects involved and holding them to account.
Amnesty’s findings serve as a reference in International Law, thanks to the organisation’s well-known expertise on the subject matter, and solidifies the cries denouncing Israel’s offensive as constituting genocide, so that State actors and other relevant entities, such as involved corporations or organisations, can no longer ignore the risk of complicity if they continue to support Israel in its criminal campaign.
What does this mean for Switzerland?
The Swiss government must take into account Amnesty’s findings and carefully study its report, to acknowledge the evidence presented, denounce the crimes and take immediate action to do all in its power to stop the commission of international crimes, including genocide, in Gaza. This means it must stop supporting Israel by providing it diplomatic cover or financial support, end any collaboration that may aid or assist its commission of the international crimes and human rights violations, and impose sanctions on the State in order to pressure it to end its offensive on Gaza and in the West Bank.
Swiss authorities, politicians and entities must heed Amnesty’s call and comply with international law obligations, deriving from the ICC orders for arrest warrants, ICJ binding orders, as well as ICJ Advisory Opinions and UN Resolutions prohibiting arms and military material transfers to Israel, support of settlement activity in the West Bank, and other policies aiding or assisting Israel’s systematic crimes against the Palestinian people.
