On the morning of December 14, 2023, an Israeli airstrike killed three generations of Ahmad Nasman’s family in Gaza. In a single blow, his wife, three children, parents, and sister were gone. It would be days before Nasman would find the body of his 3-month-old daughter, Ayla, under the rubble. His eldest daughter, Arwa, only 5 years old, was decapitated in the blast.
“My body survived but my spirit died with my children,” said Nasman. “It was crushed under the rubble with them.”
The airstrike, which hit a three-story building in Rafah, killed an estimated 31 Palestinians — most of whom had fled south from Gaza City in search of safety and shelter. In the months that followed, thousands of Palestinian parents would come to share Nasman’s grief, as the death toll surpassed 44,000.
The December strike was one of 15 incidents researchers at Amnesty International thoroughly investigated over the last year, as part of a sprawling study of Israel’s war effort since October 2023. At nearly 300 pages, the report makes a definitive finding: Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
“It is a repeated pattern across Gaza across the last 14 months.”
“The conclusion could not be clearer,” said Nadia Daar, chief strategy and impact officer for Amnesty International USA, “that a genocide has been taking place in Gaza, and that a genocide is continuing in Gaza, and all states must do everything to prevent and to punish the genocide that is happening in Gaza.”
“It’s not just one incident, it’s not just, you know, one family or one hospital. It is a repeated pattern across Gaza across the last 14 months,” Daar added. “It is chilling when you put the whole picture together as this report does, and it is a stain on humanity.”
The report’s Wednesday release comes at a time of increased global scrutiny of Israel’s assault on Gaza. Two weeks ago, the International Criminal Court announced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. President Joe Biden called the warrants “outrageous” and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened sanctions against the ICC.
Even ahead of the report’s official release, right-wing backers of Israel tore into Amnesty International, accusing it of a “history of antisemitism” and knocking the conclusion of genocide. The internationally renowned rights organizations faced a similar bevy of attacks in 2022, when it joined other human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, in calling Israel an “apartheid” state. Israeli officials swiftly condemned the report as “false, biased, and antisemitic.” Amnesty International “is just another radical organization which echoes propaganda, without seriously checking the facts,” said Yair Lapid, then Israeli foreign minister, at the time.
Like Amnesty’s apartheid report, the finding of genocide comes long after scholars, activists, and Israel’s Palestinian victims had reached the same conclusion themselves. As far back as January, the International Court of Justice found that Israel was “plausibly” committing genocide. Still, advocates are hopeful that this report from a widely respected group like Amnesty International will help to move the needle forward in conversations about Gaza. Not only will it force people in the United States to grapple directly with the fact that the U.S. is complicit in a genocide, but it also gives people the authority to speak plainly and truthfully about what’s happening in Gaza.
“It’s obvious to anyone you know who’s been even paying cursory attention here that it’s a genocide,” said Samer Araabi, a member of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, a Bay Area advocacy organization. “But you know, the way our systems work, we need that independently confirmed by experts.”
He continued, “I feel quite confident that this will give other people … the perspective that they need, or, the sort of authoritative backing they may require to be able to call this what it is.”
Intentional Attacks
The report includes 15 separate in-depth investigations and is based on interviews with over 200 people, including Palestinian survivors, local authorities in Gaza, and health care workers. The Amnesty researchers also conducted fieldwork in Gaza and analyzed an extensive range of visual and digital evidence, including satellite imagery, and analyzed statements made by senior Israeli officials.
They did not reach the conclusion of genocide lightly, said Daar. “Doing a report to investigate the case of genocide is complex, but it’s not impossible,” she said.
“We hope that people will understand this is not just a word, it’s not just a term, it is based on legal evidence,” she added.
The report notes that Israel had carried out “relentless” aerial and ground attacks flattening entire neighborhoods and critical infrastructure, including hospitals, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, and in many cases wiping out entire multigenerational families.
The report uncovered that in addition to the destructive consequences of Israel’s military operation, Israel intentionally impeded or refused the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies to a vulnerable and malnourished population in Gaza.
Mohammed Salama, the director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Emirates Red Crescent hospital in Rafah, highlighted the dire healthcare situation in the blockaded enclave. He described how the hospital became overwhelmed with newborns and infants due to the closure of other medical facilities in the region.
The researchers not only examined the actions of Israeli authorities but also their motives. They scrutinized direct statements from Israeli officials and observed consistent patterns of behavior by the Israeli military in Gaza.
The widespread destruction in Gaza played a role in establishing intent, with the scale and speed of damage unparalleled in conflicts of the 21st century.
Activist Araabi emphasized the need for the United States to confront its complicity in providing unwavering support to Israel. He urged Americans to acknowledge their role in enabling such atrocities.
Despite facing backlash from Israeli officials and their supporters, human rights advocates remain resolute in their mission to shed light on the truth. The pushback indicates a growing awareness of the atrocities being committed and poses a threat to those perpetuating the violence.
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