© Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty ImagesResidents seek safety amid destroyed buildings and debris around the Palestinian Telecommunications Company in the Gaza Strip on October 10, 2023.
More than 800 scholars of international law and genocide have signed a public statement arguing that the Israeli military may be committing genocidal acts against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as the total siege and relentless airstrikes continue to inflict devastation on the occupied territory.
"As scholars and practitioners of international law, conflict studies, and genocide studies, we are compelled to sound the alarm about the possibility of the crime of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," reads the statement. "We do not do so lightly, recognizing the weight of this crime, but the gravity of the current situation demands it."
The scholars noted that Israel's yearslong blockade on Gaza — which has left much of the territory's population impoverished and without access to basic necessities — had previously been described as "slow-motion genocide" and cited a United Nations warning about Israelis' use of dehumanizing language, which is often a prelude to mass atrocities.
But the new statement contends that Israel's current assault on Gaza, launched in the wake of a deadly Hamas attack on October 7, is "unprecedented in scale and severity."
"The Gaza Strip has been subjected to incessant and indiscriminate bombardment by Israeli forces," the scholars wrote. "Israel's defense minister ordered a 'complete siege' of the Gaza Strip prohibiting the supply of fuel, electricity, water, and other essential necessities. This terminology itself indicates an intensification of an already illegal, potentially genocidal siege to an outright destructive assault."
The scholars also pointed to Israel's evacuation order aimed at the entire population of northern Gaza — roughly 1.1 million people — and subsequent Israeli attacks on civilian convoys fleeing to the south.
"Statements of Israeli officials since 7 October 2023 suggest that beyond the killings and restriction of basic conditions for life perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza, there are also indications that the ongoing and imminent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip are being conducted with potentially genocidal intent," the scholars wrote.
They continued:
Under international law, a party is guilty of genocide if it kills or severely harms members of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group with the "intent to destroy" that group.Language used by Israeli political and military figures appears to reproduce rhetoric and tropes associated with genocide and incitement to genocide. Dehumanising descriptions of Palestinians have been prevalent. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared on 9 October that "we are fighting human animals and we act accordingly." He subsequently announced that Israel was moving to "a full-scale response" and that he had "removed every restriction" on Israeli forces, as well as stating: "Gaza won't return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything."
On 10 October, the head of the Israeli army's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, addressed a message directly to Gaza residents: "Human animals must be treated as such. There will be no electricity and no water, there will only be destruction. You wanted hell, you will get hell." The same day, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari acknowledged the wanton and intentionally destructive nature of Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza: "The emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy."
Raz Segal — an Israeli historian, associate professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University, and signatory of the new statement — argued in Jewish Currents last week that Israel's actions in Gaza since October 7 constitute "a textbook case of genocide."
"Indeed, Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza is quite explicit, open, and unashamed," Segal wrote. "Israel's goal is to destroy the Palestinians of Gaza. And those of us watching around the world are derelict in our responsibility to prevent them from doing so."
Segal and the 800 other statement signatories implored nations around the world to swiftly "take concrete and meaningful steps to individually and collectively prevent genocidal acts, in line with their legal duty to prevent the crime of genocide."
"We call on all relevant U.N. bodies, including the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, as well as the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to immediately intervene, to carry out the necessary investigations, and invoke the necessary warning procedures to protect the Palestinian population from genocide," they added.
Reader Comments
@danny esq:
I'm sorry son, but you get an F-, for that comment.
Scholars are very, very important people.
We cannot apprehend them enough.
They live in a world of their own.
Far, far, far away from reality.
It's safer for them there.
ned,
out
It is either genocide or not. Either say it is or not, what has scholarly abilities got to do with truth, obviousness and conviction, even children can read through this and see the confusion being sowed. The importance of scholars is moot if they act on name only. Over and out.
Take care,
ned
Jews invented Hamas.
The pretext of creation of Hamas gives Jews the ability to work to their own timeline.
Jews have always said they will be EXPANDING territory, 1948 was the foot in the door, then become squaters, then evict Palestinians them they will introduce themselves to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria and Iran.
The Palestinians have no "form" either historically or before 1948, Jews however are nation destroyers, evicted from individual nations (sometimes more than once) historically.
Palestinians have no food or water autonomy and the idea their "stones and fireworks" will ever compete with Israels white phosphorus should tell you who the aggressor is.
Hamas is the needed pretext to confuse ignorant people and garner sympathy. Period.
The Jewish people started settling in the area during the 1800's when doing the pilgrimage to Jerusalem became popular.
Hamas had a .50 cal. AK-47's. IEDS. Rocket launchers. Supplied by Iran, China and Russia.
Facts. Period.
Cause the shit been going down for a long time - 80 years or therabout for eff sake - and the generation that followed - they don't know cause they are just puppets and treated as such by the hateful zionist - is proof required for this?
The land does indeed exude ( as well as india ) a very special energy, maybe due to the history, ley lines or just my my vibration.. 'holy' might be the right word.
Wow, its about time someone said the quiet part out loud !!
What we are witnessing is the imposters, the litteral children of the devil who adopted "force" (murderers from the very begining) trying to claim the blessings given to Abraham that would continue through Isaac' son Joseph and Jacob (the true biblical Israel).
Since then Esau (who absorbed the enemies of Israel) has tried to claim the blessing of Jacob which was a birthright he gave up.
The modern day "Jews" are not the heirs of this promise.
They claim Israel by geographical name-sake.
They claim religious calling through the Torah again in name only, Jews subscribe to the Babylonian Talmud (which is NOT the Torah given by God to Moses)
They immitate the true Israelites by circumcision, names from biblical charachters etc..
Their own encyclopedia's state clearly they are the Edomitic line that was absorbed through the Roman empire.
Yeshua is ONLY coming back for the LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL (JACOB).
The Jews did not recognize Yeshua as the prophecied Messiah through Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Jacob (Israel). The Jews of today claimed they were never in bondage (never enslaved) which admittance of not being the true Israelites who were taken in bondage by Assyria, Babylon and Egypt.
The reason why "Jews" have a strong victim complex is because they understand that in the future they will be all killed, not one of them will be spared, being enemies of God and his children, when found they will be the culmination of every empire that has caused harm to people, absorbing every nation into their genetics (including the Canaanites who still practice sex with animals and child sacrifice).
They are NOT innocent children of God....they are deceivers and the lusts of their father they will do, kill animals cruely, maim and torture children and women and men, mock our Lord Yeshua who they murdered, steal the promised land for themselves and finally attempt to enslave EVERYONE ON GODS EARTH.
Where do you think we are in history?
"Esau is the end of this world,
Jacob is the begining of the world which follows"
You are to show love to your enemies.
Your cherry picking of proverbs is without the context of why it was said. So it is safe to assume you believe Im "rejoicing" about the current affair in Palestine, sure Im absolutely disgusted by it, I fail to see how Israeli Jews have stumbled or fallen? The Israeli Jews look poised to decimate and rejoice the fall of their enemy, proving they need the word more than anyone, I hope you can get them to listen and people see the political shield they create going into battle (this particular jewish flavour is tasting of zionism, hemce the "not all jews" monica)
Yeshua was also accused of blasphemy by the Pharisee crowd by his revelation of being the prophecied Messiah which the Pharisee crowd did not recognise, which alludes to their heritage of Abraham but not Isaac, Joseph, Jacob, also their geographical heritage as being of Babylonian government (they subscribed to the traditions of elders who self appointing were diminishing the law of God and creating their own laws.......sound familiar?)
And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
The Rulers and the Roman soldiers are the ones who have all the power. Are they not? The Jews had no power in the government. Facts.
So again.
The Roman Catholics executed Jesus.
At least learn the bible if you are going to believe in it.
Matthew 27
Judas Hangs Himself
1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.
2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.
4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”
7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.
8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel,
10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”[a]
Jesus Before Pilate
11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.
13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”
14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.
16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.
17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.
22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
MCsnacks: At least learn the bible if you are going to believe in it.
The Sanhedrin was made up of the Sadducees, Pharisees and priests plus the leader who was the high priest.
The Sanhedrin was still allowed to exist under Roman rule, but their power was limited. They could find a person guilty and give the death sentence, but they could not carry it out. Only the Romans could put a person to death.
Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
Seems like you don't (read:cannot) really see to which party the condemnation was coming from, sure your quoting scripture but the bible gives a great amount of context for the reader to fully understand the smaller quotes, your not even willing to allow any of the information showing who set out to have Yeshua killed, your effectively pointing to the executioner who is asked to execute someone's will, the will of the Roman governer was to wash his hands of all guilt in condemning a man he saw as innocent, once the crowd were given the choice of who to release you denied Yeshua's real accussers were in that crowd working to have Yeshua murdered (Yeshua was innocent 100%), you have also very quickly skipped over Yeshua prophecying about his own death in the parable of the vinyard owner. The Pharisees used the Romans to execute Yeshua, it was the Pharisees who sent Roman guards to try and trick Yeshua into saying he wouldn't pay taxes.
You can have the last word here, its clear your moulding bible quotes to fit your "Roman Catholic" slant.
Sure the Romans were complicit in the murder of Yeshua but the people who "wanted" Yeshua out of the way were the government (the teachers of the law). It is pretty clear, but not to you for some reason.
Also you forgot to mention the Sanhedrin conducted hearings in daylight hours, not at night, unlawfully, rushed through without giving time for the accused to prepare his witness testimony.
If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. Deut 25:1
Such an abominable action were the Jews guilty of in desiring Barabbas, a wicked man, to be released, and Christ, the just One, to be condemned; and Pilate in complying with them.
The Romans were the government.
The Romans actually did not get involved in the death penalty regarding Jewish (Pharisee) criminal cases, they allowed them to conduct their own hearings but forbade them actually carrying out executions. You said so yourself.
Yeshua' hearing was a mock/illegitimate hearing, as explained.
Sanhedrin conducted hearings during day light hours only, not at night, not rushed leaving the defendent without time to prepare his/her defense and call upon witnesses to help his/her defence, Yeshua taught this very thing: the adulterous woman, there was no witnesses to accuse her so she was free to go!
What your attempting to do is make the Roman executioners complicity hide the actions of the Jews (Pharisees) on account of having the motive and planning while making use of the Romans as a scapegoat to not get their hands dirty (sound familiar?)
The Romans previously showed faith during Yeshua' ministry, were "amazed" at his wisdom, and were cured of sickness (Matthew collected taxes for Rome) by Yeshua himself. Also while Jesus healed the wound of a Roman (who Peter struck), the motive of Rome wanting Yeshua dead is lacking form, motive and scriptural context.
Even this will not convince you:
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
The high priestly leadership of the Jerusalem community was pragmatic about matters of this sort, the sentiment attributed to Caiaphas in the fourth Gospel, actually reflects some of their attitudes, that is, it’s expedient for one person to die rather than the whole nation perish. So they did collaborate with the Roman authorities, but it was Pilate’s decision to crucify Jesus. Crucifixion is, of course, a Roman form of execution.
Jesus was crucified by the Roman authorities, who were governing Israel-Palestine at the time, because he was perceived as a political threat.
Historical accounts of the man who sentenced Jesus to death paint him as arrogant and cruel. Philosopher Philo of Alexandria writing around A.D. 50, Pilate castigated the prefect for his “briberies, insults, robberies, outrages and wanton injuries, executions without trial, constantly repeated, ceaseless and supremely grievous cruelty.
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
......
1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.
2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
This will undoubtedly be part of the Noachides accusations against non-jews during the persecution.
I agree. In Parliament in Canada a number of MP’s including Jagmeet Singh leader of the NDP are calling out Israel for genocide. Like you say that would have never happened in 2001. So times are a changing and folks are waking up !
Really? According to many definitions of Zionism, it is the state of Israel. [Link] So how does Israel not take the hit ?
Zionism is an ideology created by Jews for the benefit of ALL Jews (ie removal of Palestinians from Israel) but allows Jews to distance itself from Zionism "not in our name" "solidarity with Palestinians" etc etc....but nobody wants to notice that the "non-Zionist" Jews have NEVER succeeded in preventing the growth of Zionism in Israel (FACT) or that ALL Jews (Pro and non Zionist alike) benefit from the eviction of Palestinians from Israel.
Im suprised no one here can see this, its pretty obvious.