The war between Israel and Hamas has ignited intense emotions. Accusations are being thrown back and forth, with one of the more serious claims against Israel being that the country is committing genocide. Israel and its allies deny this. Who is correct?
What is the definition of genocide?
Genocide is the attempt to eliminate an entire group of people. Notorious examples of genocide in history include the Armenian genocide, the genocide in Tasmania, and the Nazi genocide of the Jews.
Almost all UN member states, including Israel and EU countries, have signed a genocide convention to prevent such atrocities in the future.
The Genocide Convention, Article II, defines genocide as follows:
II. In this Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group as such:
a. Killing members of the group; b. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; c. Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; d. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; e. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
We will use this definition to determine whether genocide is occurring, as it is internationally signed and ratified.
Do these criteria apply to the conflict in Gaza?
a. Killing members of the group
There is evidence of deaths among both Hamas members and civilians in Gaza. Israel does not target Palestinians because they are Palestinian but rather combats Hamas while attempting to minimize civilian casualties by issuing warnings. This does not qualify as genocide.
b. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
Israeli military actions have resulted in harm to both Hamas members and civilians. However, there is no evidence that Israel deliberately targets civilians. The harm is collateral to military operations, not a deliberate policy.
c. Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction
Gaza’s poor conditions existed before the war, largely due to economic factors and Hamas’s governance. Israel’s actions, such as blockades, have worsened the situation, but there is no evidence of an intentional policy to starve or eliminate the Gazan population.
d. Imposing measures to prevent births within the group
Gaza has one of the highest population growth rates globally. If measures to prevent births are being taken, they are failing spectacularly.
e. Forcibly transferring children to another group
There is no evidence of Gazan children being forcibly placed in Israeli families or institutions.
Conclusion: Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?
No, Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza. There is no demonstrated intent by the Israeli government to eliminate the Palestinian population. While civilian casualties are a tragic consequence of the conflict, these occur in the context of fighting a terrorist organization (Hamas) in a densely populated area. The facts do not support accusations of genocide.
