The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the world’s foremost professional body of genocide experts, has issued a landmark resolution declaring that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

The resolution, adopted with the support of 86% of participating members, represents a decisive recognition from leading experts in the field of genocide studies. It details how Israel’s 22-month campaign in Gaza—marked by mass killings, systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement—constitutes genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The three-page resolution documents widespread attacks on Gaza’s healthcare facilities, schools, and aid operations, severely undermining Palestinians’ ability to survive. According to UNICEF, at least 50,000 children have been killed or injured in the war, a figure the scholars say demonstrates the systematic destruction of Gaza’s future generations.

The resolution also cites statements from Israeli officials openly advocating for the expulsion of Palestinians, alongside dehumanizing rhetoric describing Gaza as a place to be “flattened” or turned into “hell.” Combined with the near-total destruction of housing, these actions, the scholars argue, show intent to destroy Palestinians “in whole or in part,” the very definition of genocide under international law.

While acknowledging that the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which killed around 1,200 people, was itself a crime, the IAGS stressed that Israel’s response has deliberately targeted Gaza’s entire population rather than just armed groups.

“This is not about military necessity,” the resolution states. “This is about erasing a people.”

The IAGS includes Holocaust scholars among its members, making the resolution particularly significant. Their declaration highlights the dangerous precedent of allowing mass atrocities to be excused under the pretext of self-defense.

Palestinian groups welcomed the resolution as a long-overdue recognition of the reality they have endured. Human rights organizations—including two Israeli groups—echoed the scholars’ findings, calling for urgent accountability.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports that 63,557 people have been killed and 160,660 wounded since Israel’s assault began. The figures—considered credible by the UN and aid groups—do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but humanitarian organizations stress that the overwhelming majority are civilians, with children making up nearly half of the victims.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed in August that famine is now present in Gaza. Israel is accused of deliberately engineering starvation by blocking food and medical supplies, a violation of its obligations as the occupying power under international law.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently reviewing South Africa’s 2023 case accusing Israel of genocide. Israel has until January 2026 to submit its defense, which it has dismissed as antisemitic and akin to a “blood libel.”

Although the IAGS resolution does not directly affect the ICJ case, it adds moral and academic weight to the mounting evidence of atrocities. Scholars stress that the international community can no longer remain silent.

Protests continue across major cities worldwide, with demonstrators demanding a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. Civil society groups warn that Western governments’ hesitation to act enables the continuation of mass killing and famine.

Meanwhile, debates rage on social media, with Israel’s defenders framing its campaign as security-driven, while a growing chorus of voices condemns it as the wholesale destruction of a people.

The IAGS resolution concludes by calling for urgent international action to prevent further loss of life and ensure accountability. “History will judge not only the perpetrators,” the statement warns, “but also those who stood by in silence.”

As Gaza’s children continue to die from bombs and hunger, the declaration by the world’s leading genocide scholars places unprecedented pressure on governments and international institutions to confront the reality: what is happening in Gaza is genocide. (ILKHA)