Gaza genocide

According to a United Nations Special Committee, Amnesty International, and other experts, Israel is committing genocide in Gaza against the Palestinians during its ongoing invasion and bombing of the Gaza Strip as part of the Gaza war. The acts of genocide described by experts and human rights organisations include large-scale killing, use of starvation as a weapon of war, destruction of civilian infrastructure, attacks on healthcare workers, and forced displacement. Various observers, including UN experts, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, and Human Rights Watch have cited statements by senior Israeli officials that may indicate an "intent to destroy" Gaza's population in whole or in part, a necessary condition for the legal threshold of genocide to be met.

By April 2025, the Gaza Health Ministry had reported that at least 50,500 people in the Gaza Strip had been killed—1 out of every 44 people—averaging 93 deaths per day. Most of the victims are civilians, of whom at least 50% are women and children. Compared to other recent global conflicts, the numbers of known deaths of journalists, humanitarian and health workers, and children are among the highest. Thousands of more dead bodies are thought to be under the rubble of destroyed buildings. A study in The Lancet estimated 64,260 deaths due to traumatic injuries by June 2024, while noting a larger potential death toll when "indirect" deaths are included. As of January 2025, a comparable estimate for traumatic injury deaths would be around 80,000. The number of injured is greater than 100,000; Gaza has the most child amputees per capita in the world.

Over 1.9 million Palestinians—85% of Gaza's population—have been forcibly displaced. An enforced Israeli blockade has heavily contributed to starvation and the threat of famine in Gaza. Early in the conflict, Israel cut off Gaza's water and electricity supply. As of August 2024, only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were partially functional; 84% of its health centers have been destroyed or suffered damage. Israel has also destroyed numerous culturally significant buildings, such as all of Gaza's 12 universities, 80% of its schools, and numerous mosques, churches, museums, and libraries.

The government of South Africa has instituted proceedings, South Africa v. Israel, against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging a violation of the Genocide Convention. In an initial ruling, the ICJ held that South Africa was entitled to bring its case against Israel, while Palestinians were recognised to have a right to protection from genocide. The court ordered Israel to observe its obligations under the Genocide Convention by taking all measures within its power to prevent the commission of acts of genocide, to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, and to allow basic humanitarian services into Gaza. The court also later ordered Israel to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza and to halt the Rafah offensive. The Israeli government has denied South Africa's allegations.