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In a report published this Thursday in the Middle East, Amnesty International accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, saying its actions were deliberately aimed at destroying the Palestinian population. According to the organization, these acts include deadly attacks, the destruction of vital infrastructure and the obstruction of the delivery of food, medicine and other essential aid.
Agnès CallamardSecretary General of Amnesty, said:
“Our damning conclusions must alert the international community: this is genocide. This must stop now. »
Amnesty also warned Israel’s allies, including UNITED STATESaccusing them of potential complicity and calling for stopping arms deliveries.
Israel categorically rejects the accusations
Israel, founded after the Holocaust, denounced the allegations as “anti-Semitic lie”. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the report“entirely false and based on lies”while asserting that his actions were consistent with international law.
Israel also stressed that the civilian losses were due to the strategy of Hamas, accused of carrying out its military operations in the heart of residential areas. In response to Amnesty, Israel reiterated that its actions were aimed solely at Hamasdescribed as a terrorist group.
An unprecedented escalation context
The conflict broke out on October 7, 2023when Hamas-led militants carried out a massive attack in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a major military offensivewho, according to Gaza authorities, killed more than 44,500 people to this day. Amnesty accuses Israel of exposing Palestinians to “slow and calculated death”citing the destruction of hospitals, homes and vital infrastructure.
Amnesty’s analysis: a deliberate intention
Amnesty based its accusations on examination of more than 100 statements from Israeli officials since the start of the conflict. The organization says some of these statements dehumanize Palestinians and justify actions that could be described as genocidal. She also analyzed 15 airstrikes who allegedly killed at least 334 civilians, claiming that no military targets were identified.
-A poignant example is the strike that occurred in Rafah in April 2024, where 16 children from the same family perished in their sleep. Israel maintains that these actions are directed against military objectives, but Amnesty disputes this version.
International polarization
Accusations of genocide have divided the international community. If countries like UNITED STATES and Germany continue to support Israel, influential figures like Pope Francis and the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman have called for investigations into the allegations.
In May, the Biden administration acknowledged that the use of U.S.-supplied weapons could violate humanitarian law, while saying the evidence remained incomplete.
The humanitarian crisis: an ongoing disaster
The situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. More than 90% of the population has been moved, often several times. Hundreds of thousands of people survive in unsanitary camps, lacking food, water and sanitation infrastructure. Humanitarian organizations warn of imminent famine in northern Gaza, worsened by the approach of winter.
Israel has almost completely isolated this region, saying its operations are aimed at neutralizing Hamas militants, who continue to regroup in areas dense with civilian populations.
Amnesty calls for international pressure
Faced with the situation, Amnesty urges Israel’s allies, particularly the United States, to end the war. Agnès Callamard underlined the responsibility of countries supplying weapons to Israel and called for immediate action to stop the conflict.
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