Israel committing genocide in Gaza, scholars group says

Summary

Published On 1 Sep 20251 Sep 2025The world’s top genocide scholars have formally declared that Israel’s war on Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide, marking a landmark intervention from leading experts in the field of international law.The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), a 500-member body of academics founded in 1994, passed a resolution on Monday, stating that Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza fulfil the definition of genocide set out in the 1948 United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4list 2 of 4list 3 of 4list 4 of 4end of list“This is a definitive statement from experts in the field of genocide studies that what is going on on the ground in Gaza is genocide,” said Melanie O’Brien, IAGS president and professor of international law at the University of Western Australia, speaking to the Reuters news agency on Monday. The resolution won overwhelming support, with 86 percent of members voting in favour. It called on Israel to halt “deliberate attacks on civilians, including children; starvation; deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other essentials; sexual and reproductive violence; and forced displacement”.Sergey Vasiliev, professor of international law at the Open University of the Netherlands, told Reuters the declaration reflected a consensus that has taken root in academia. “This legal assessment has become mainstream within academia, particularly in the field of genocide studies,” he said.Ismail al-Thawabta, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, said the “prestigious scholarly stance reinforces the documented evidence and facts presented before international courts”. He added that the resolution “places a legal and moral obligation on the international community to take urgent action to stop the crime, protect civilians, and hold the leaders of the occupation accountable”.Israel’s growing legal woesThe resolution came as I...