As states debate terminology—whether Israel’s actions constitute genocide—the destruction of Gaza continues. By land, air, and sea, Israel has displaced and massacred the surviving population with seeming impunity.
As states debate terminology—whether Israel’s actions constitute genocide—the destruction of Gaza continues. By land, air, and sea, Israel has displaced and massacred the surviving population with seeming impunity.
- UN Experts (including Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur) :
“Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.” - António Guterres, UN Secretary-General :
“The level of suffering we are witnessing in Gaza is unprecedented in my mandate as Secretary-General of the United Nations.” - Amnesty International :
“Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.” - Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel :
“At the end of this campaign, all of the territories of the Gaza Strip will be under Israel’s security control.” - Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA :
“There is absolutely no doubt that we are talking about massive atrocities.” - Khalil al-Hayya, Senior Hamas Leader :
“[The October 7 attacks are] a source of pride for our people… to be passed down from generation to generation.” - Ghazi Hamad, Hamas Political Bureau Member :
“We will never accept anything less than historical Palestine. We do not believe in a two-state solution. We will never recognize Israel.”
The October 7 Attacks and Israel’s Military Response
The latest escalation began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched an unprecedented assault on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting ~250 hostages. In response, Israel declared war, initiating a sweeping military offensive in Gaza, aimed—by its official account—at dismantling Hamas and securing the hostages’ release.
Since then, Israel has imposed a siege, airstrikes, and ground incursions that have devastated Gaza. Casualty figures from May, 2025 show the human cost: ~1,706 Israeli deaths (including soldiers and civilians) and 53,901 Palestinian deaths, of whom 15,613 were children, 8,304 women, 3,839 elderly, and 825 infants. Over 122,593 people have been wounded. These figures, based on Gaza’s Ministry of Health, remain under UN verification.
Additional tolls include 408 aid workers killed—280 of them UN staff—and dozens of journalists. Meanwhile, ~59 hostages remain in Gaza, with roughly 35 confirmed dead.
Gaza Under Siege: Infrastructure and Displacement
The destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been catastrophic.
- Displacement: 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents—1.9 million people—are displaced, many multiple times.
- Healthcare: Only 16 of 36 hospitals are even partially functional. Since March 2, 2025, no aid—food, fuel, water, or medicine—has entered Gaza. More than 120 health facilities and 180 ambulances have been destroyed or damaged. Premature infants have died due to power outages.
- Housing and Schools: 92% of homes and 70% of schools are reported damaged or destroyed.
- Disease and Famine: With civilians crammed into a 15-square-mile area, outbreaks of Hepatitis C and other diseases loom. Starvation and untreated illnesses continue to raise the death toll beyond direct conflict casualties.
Legal and Human Rights Assessments
International watchdogs and UN experts are divided in interpretation but united in grave concern.
- Amnesty International: In its December 2024 report, “You Feel Like You Are Subhuman”, Amnesty alleged genocide based on killings, widespread harm, and conditions designed for physical destruction. They documented intent through Israeli officials’ statements, drawing on 212 interviews, policy analysis, and visual data.
- Human Rights Watch: In its December 2024 report, “Extermination and Acts of Genocide”, HRW concluded that Israel’s cutoffs of electricity, fuel, and water, along with destruction of infrastructure, amounted to extermination and possible genocide.
- UN Experts: Francesca Albanese and colleagues have argued that healthcare destruction, mass displacement, and starvation amount to genocide. Israel has dismissed these allegations as baseless and antisemitic, framing its actions strictly as self-defence.
Notably, Amnesty International’s Israeli branch dissents, stating that while atrocities are undeniable, proof of genocidal intent is not definitive.
Global Response and Political Consequences
International courts and organizations have issued strong, though unenforced, actions:
- International Court of Justice (ICJ): Issued orders (Jan, Mar, May 2024) requiring Israel to prevent genocide, ensure humanitarian aid, and preserve evidence. Compliance remains minimal.
- International Criminal Court (ICC): Issued arrest warrants for Hamas commander Mohammed Deif (since killed), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
- UN and NGOs: Consistently demand a ceasefire, unrestricted aid, and accountability for war crimes.
Global protests continue, particularly in North America and Europe, where arms transfers to Israel have triggered accusations of complicity in possible genocide. The United States and other allies maintain military support but acknowledge the potential for breaches of international law.
Meanwhile, the UN has condemned both sides: Hamas for war crimes on October 7, Israel for disproportionate retaliation. Both the ongoing siege and Hamas’s refusal to release hostages prolong one of the most devastating humanitarian crises of the 21st century. 
This article is a modfied version of an article published by the New Enlightenment Project in May, 2025 and written by Scott Douglas Jacobsen.