Johannesburg – Amnesty’s latest report finds Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Amnesty International said its fieldworkers have been on the ground in Gaza interviewing survivors, witnesses, local organisations, and journalists.
“We are one of the only two international human rights organisations on the ground in Gaza documenting the crisis as it unfolds,” Amnesty said Thursday, (5 December 2024).
“Our research determined Israel has violated the Genocide Convention with both genocidal acts and intent to destroy Palestinians through its policies, actions, and omissions and by treating them as subhuman.
“The report builds on decades of research in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and follows our 2022 determination that Israel is imposing a system of oppression and domination that amounts to the crime against humanity of apartheid.”
Amnesty said its research found Israel has deliberately killed, physically, and mentally harmed as well as made conditions of life calculated to destroy Palestinians.
“This includes war crimes of annihilation, displacement and forced starvation,” the rights body said.
“Our team interviewed 212 witnesses, local authorities and healthcare workers and our Crisis Evidence Lab verified visual and digital evidence including satellite imagery.
“We analysed statements by Israeli leaders and military officials.
“Genocidal intent and statements by political leaders and military officials have filtered down to statements echoed by Israeli Forces Soldiers on the ground as evidenced in social media videos.”
Click here to read the full report and explore more of the findings.
South Africa welcomes Amnesty Report
South Africa said it welcomes Amnesty International’s report, which has exposed the genocide against the Palestinian people in occupied Gaza.
The findings of this report affirm South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice and align with the following reports from the United Nations:
Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, stated that the Israeli leadership’s promise last year to destroy Gaza has been fulfilled.
“The Strip now is a wasteland of rubble and human remains,” where survivors struggle to hold on to life, and bodies are decomposing in the ruins of what used to be clinics and hospitals.
Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territory Occupied, emphasised that the international community must recognize what is happening in Gaza as genocide.
She urged understanding of the broader design behind the current situation in Palestine, noting that Palestinians have experienced war crimes and crimes against humanity throughout their lives, but the current situation is different.
The work of Amnesty International must be viewed through the prism of human rights defenders.
“We call upon the international community to support the right to defend human rights and to strengthen the protection of human rights defenders from any repercussions of their work,” said the SA Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
“We urge all to protect and support those who expose atrocities and advocate for the oppressed.
“South Africa calls for immediate an immediate ceasefire and for the protection of Palestinian lives and rights.”
Amnesty International, a reputable and fiercely independent non-governmental organisation, is known for its rigorous and detailed reports. This latest report is no exception.
