Media Review Network is extremely pleased with the extensive research undertaken by “Law For Palestine” to compile examples of Israeli leaders expressing their intent to commit genocide.

Data Portal for Tracking Genocidal Incitement Against Palestinians

Thematic areas

Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (hereafter ‘Genocide Convention’), defines genocide as a series of acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”1 Additionally, the Genocide Convention criminalizes associated acts such as conspiracy to commit genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, and attempts to commit genocide. The hundreds of statements of genocidal intent presented in this database are categorized to highlight the intentionality feuling specific acts that constitute genocide, committed by the Israeli Armed Forces against Palestinians.

The statements of genocidal intent highlighted in this database are crucial in understanding the broader context of Israel’s clear intention with their current military actions against the palestinian people especially in Gaza, and generally across the geography. They provide insight into how rhetoric and actions by state officials and military personnel can align with the definitions and elements of genocide as outlined by international law. This analysis is essential for recognizing patterns of behavior that not only violate human rights but also meet the criteria of genocide, thereby warranting international scrutiny, intervention, and accountability.

1. Civilian harm

Collective Punishment, Torture, Genocial Intent Article II (b) of the Genocide Convention defines one act of genocide as that which causes“serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.” The statements inciting such actions by Israeli officials and military personnel include statements regarding the torture of and collective punishment toward Palestinians. These statements often perpetuate a collective

Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. UNTS Volume No. 78 (p.277).

Retrieved from

https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.1_Convention%20on%20the%20Prevention%20and%20Punishment%20of%20the%20Crime%20of%20Genocide.pdf

identity of Gazans as terrorists, reinforcing the narrative that no Gazan is innocent, thus justifying the ongoing assault on Palestinians in Gaza. The International Court of Justice has, in its three Provisional Measures Orders, recognized Israel’s military campaign and actions of
collective punishment could potentially amount to genocide. Additionally, some statements within this categorization explicitly call for the killing or harming of Palestinian civilians. Article II (a) of the Genocide Convention includes killing members of the group as an act of genocide. Such statements demonstrate the intention of the Israeli Forces to inflict indiscriminate and comprehensive massive death and civilian suffering upon Palestinians.

2. Starvation
Article II (c) of the Genocide Convention defines another act of genocide as “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” The statements under this categorization highlight the incitement of and praise
for efforts to create conditions leading to the starvation of Palestinians, clearly fitting the definition of genocide. These statements include calls to deliberately disrupt aid trucks entering Gaza, supplying only conditional aid, and causing civilian deaths from starvation and
malnutrition. Specific incidents, such as the Flour Massacre, where starving civilians were killed while trying to obtain food, and multiple instances of civilians being shot while seeking aid, underscore the extreme measures taken to induce starvation. The deliberate creation of such conditions underscores the severity and intentionality behind these actions, aligning with the genocidal acts defined by international law.

3. Destruction of infrastructure
Another act of genocide falling within the scope of Article II (c) of the Genocide Convention is the systematic and deliberate targeting and destruction of infrastructure throughout Gaza. Statements within this categorization include blatant incitement for the comprehensive
destruction of Gaza, condoning the invasion and destruction of hospitals and schools, and targeting safe places where Gazans seek shelter, such as mosques, churches, houses, safe zones, and universities. Additionally, there are statements regarding the cutting of electricity and
destroying cellular towers in Gaza. This willful destruction of essential systems, crucial for ensuring civilian health and well-being, clearly aims to create conditions that bring about the physical destruction of the civilian population in Gaza. The deliberate targeting of infrastructure essential for civilian survival aligns with genocidal acts as defined by international law, highlighting the severity and intentionality behind these actions. By disrupting healthcare, education, shelter, and communication, these measures exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and undermine the population’s ability to survive.

4. Forced displacement and annexation
Another act connected to the systematic oppression of Palestinians is the deliberate displacement and call to establish settlements in, or even annex, Gaza. These categorized statements highlight the rhetoric perpetuated by Israeli officials, calling for the removal of the Palestinian population from land they claim as being now part of Israel. While forced displacement may not explicitly constitute genocide, international legal jurisprudence indicates that forcible transfer can provide evidence of genocidal intent within a broader situational context, inferred from cumulative actions and statements.

 In Palestine, Israeli leaders have paired genocidal language with references to forcible transfer, as outlined by the statements in this section. These calls for destruction are intertwined with calls to ethnically cleanse Gaza, and often also the entirety of the occupied Palestinian territory, of its population. Although the expulsion of a group or part of a group alone does not suffice for genocide, when considered alongside the destruction of infrastructure and the killing of civilians, the evidence of genocidal intent becomes clear. The explicit language used by Israeli leadership, combining ethnic cleansing with calls to destroy the population of Gaza, demonstrates a clear intent to create conditions leading to the group’s physical destruction, in whole or in part. This intent is further inferred from Israel’s relentless military assault on Gaza, the lack of any material program to transfer the population simultaneously with the killings, and the broader context of explicit calls to cleanse Gaza of its inhabitants.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share the quotes with you.