The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)
has formally declared that Israel's actions in Gaza meet the legal definition
of genocide under the 1948 UN Convention. This resolution, supported by 86% of
the group's 500 members, accuses Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity,
and calls for immediate cessation of these acts.
Leading Genocide Scholars Make Unprecedented Declaration
The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the world's foremost professional organisation devoted to the study of genocide, passed a resolution on Monday stating that Israel’s policies and military actions in Gaza constitute genocide as defined by Article II of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948). The resolution was backed by 86 percent of the voting members from its 500-strong academic community, including experts in Holocaust studies. Melanie O'Brien, IAGS president and professor of international law at the University of Western Australia, emphasised:
“People who are experts in the study of genocide can see this situation for what it is”.
Details of the Resolution and Accusations Against Israel
The three-page resolution condemns Israel for deliberate
attacks on civilians, including children, starvation tactics, complete
deprivation of humanitarian aid such as water and fuel, sexual and reproductive
violence, and forced displacement of the Gazan population. It categorically
states that Israel’s policies and actions fulfill the legal criteria of
genocide and additionally amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity as
per international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court.
Sergey Vasiliev, international law professor at the Open
University of the Netherlands, noted this declaration reflects a growing
academic consensus on the severity of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Context of the Conflict and Human Toll
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023
following an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants that killed around 1,200
people in Israeli communities and took over 250 hostages. Since then, extensive
bombardment by Israeli forces has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, killed
approximately 63,000 people—according to Gaza’s Health Ministry—and forced
nearly the entire population to flee their homes at least once.
Hamas’s October 7 attack is also acknowledged in the resolution
as constituting international crimes, highlighting the complexity and mutual
accusations within this ongoing conflict.
Reactions from Key Stakeholders
There was no immediate response from the Israeli Foreign
Ministry to the resolution’s declaration. Historically, Israel has vigorously
denied that its military operations in Gaza amount to genocide, asserting they
are acts of self-defense and condemning the use of the term as antisemitic and
a “blood libel.” Israel is currently engaged in a legal battle at the
International Court of Justice in The Hague against accusations of genocide.
The Hamas-run Gaza government welcomed the resolution. Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, described it as a “prestigious academic position” that reinforces the documented evidence presented in international courts. He emphasised that the resolution
“places a legal and moral obligation on the international community to take urgent action to stop the crime, protect civilians, and hold the leaders of the occupation accountable”.
Wider International and Academic Consensus
The IAGS is not isolated in this stance. Other human rights
and Israeli rights groups such as B'Tselem and Physicians for Human
Rights-Israel have also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, marking
a significant shift in Israeli civil society perspectives.
Prominent Israeli scholars in Holocaust and genocide studies
like Raz Segal and Omer Bartov have described the assault on Gaza as “a
textbook case of genocide” and have urged greater acknowledgement of the war
crimes committed. Former Israeli politicians, including former defence minister
Moshe Yaalon and ex-prime minister Ehud Olmert, have admitted war crimes are
being committed.
Some prominent genocide scholars, including Martin Shaw and
Dirk Moses, have criticised international leaders and journalists for avoiding
the use of the term “genocide” in the Gaza context, suggesting that such denial
undermines the entire field of genocide studies and the memory of the
Holocaust.
Legal and Diplomatic Implications
Israel is currently contesting accusations of genocide at
the International Court of Justice while South Africa has filed its own
complaint accusing Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention. The court's
final ruling may take years, but the declaration by IAGS adds pressure on the
international community to act according to international law.
The scholars' resolution calls on Israel to comply with the
International Court of Justice's provisional measures and urges ICC state
parties to cooperate fully, including surrendering individuals subject to
arrest warrants.
Humanitarian Crisis and Calls for Ceasefire
The resolution vividly describes the humanitarian crisis
caused by the sustained military offensive, including starvation and denial of
essential services to Gaza’s population. Independent experts and UN agencies
have repeatedly warned of man-made famine conditions emerging. Israel contests
these accusations, blaming Hamas for fighting within densely populated areas
and prolonging the conflict.
The International Association of Genocide Scholars’ formal
declaration that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza marks a historic and
grave condemnation. With 86% support from its expert members, the resolution
provides a detailed and legalistic assessment of Israel’s actions and calls for
immediate cessation of acts constituting genocide, war crimes, and crimes
against humanity. The statement is expected to intensify global diplomatic
pressures and deepen the divide in international perspectives regarding the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This development is set against ongoing violence,
humanitarian suffering, and a complex legal battle at the highest international
courts, with significant implications for international law, human rights, and
regional stability.