Israel blasts Amnesty report on Gaza genocide

JERUSALEM

Israel attacked on Thursday a report by human rights group Amnesty International accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The UK-based organization said early Thursday that it has found “sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza."

"Israel has unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians in Gaza brazenly, continuously, and with total impunity," the rights group said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the Amnesty report "deplorable and fanatical," and "entirely false and based on lies."

The ministry claimed that Israel’s deadly offensive in Gaza, where nearly 44,600 have been killed, mostly women and children, was in "self-defense and in accordance with international law."

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas in October 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions denouncing the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar