Israel is committing genocide and ethnic cleansing, say Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders

Author Jahanzeb Hussain Syed

As Israel’s attacks in Gaza continue, three international organizations have expressly denounced Israel for acts amounting to genocide and ethnic cleansing. 

On Dec. 19, Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders released detailed reports with evidence that Israel’s conduct in the war constitutes extermination and ethnic cleansing, respectively.

This follows a report by Amnesty International earlier in the month concluding that Israel’s campaign in Gaza is genocidal.

Apart from Gaza, Israel has been accused of potential war crimes during its 62-day war in Lebanon as well. On Dec 20, Oxfam and ActionAid released a report stating that the 136 displacement orders issued by Israel to Lebanese civilians between Sept. 23 and Oct. 31 could constitute forced population transfers, which is a crime of war under international law. 

Following the attacks by Hamas against Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, 2023, that took more than 1,000 lives and resulted in the capture of hundreds of hostages, the response by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government may have led to the death of 200,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the medical journal The Lancet. 

Earlier in 2024, the International Court of Justice sided with South Africa’s case that there is plausible reason to believe Israel is committing acts of genocide in Gaza. 

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

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  • Jahanzeb Hussain reports on global aid and international cooperation. He has over a decade of experience in journalism and research, spanning across multiple countries. He holds a research masters in anthropology from L'École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris. He currently lives in Montreal.

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