Two leading Israeli human rights organisations have accused their own government of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, marking an unprecedented moment in Israeli civil society as the war approaches its 22nd month.
B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHR-I) published separate reports on Monday concluding that Israel’s military campaign meets the legal definition of genocide under international law. The organisations called for immediate international intervention to halt what they described as the deliberate destruction of Palestinian society.
The accusations come as Gaza faces catastrophic humanitarian conditions, with the death toll exceeding 59,000 Palestinians according to health authorities. More than 115 people have died from starvation since Israel imposed a near-total blockade in March, whilst over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed attempting to access humanitarian aid.
Breaking Israeli Societal Taboos
“Nothing prepares you for the realisation that you are part of a society committing genocide. This is a deeply painful moment for us,” said B’Tselem Executive Director Yuli Novak at a press conference in East Jerusalem. “But as Israelis and Palestinians who live here and witness the reality every day, we have a duty to speak the truth as clearly as possible: Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.”
The significance of these accusations cannot be overstated in Israeli society, where genocide allegations have historically been dismissed as antisemitic. Israel was founded in the wake of the Holocaust, and the term carries profound sensitivities amongst the Jewish population.
Guy Shalev, director of Physicians for Human Rights Israel, acknowledged this barrier, stating: “Perhaps human rights groups based in Israel, and coming to this conclusion, is a way to confront that accusation and get people to acknowledge the reality.
Systematic Destruction Documented
B’Tselem’s 79-page report, titled “Our Genocide,” presents extensive documentation of what it calls “coordinated action to intentionally destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip.” The organisation cited mass killings, catastrophic living conditions, destruction of infrastructure, mass arrests, abuse of detainees, and forced displacement affecting 85 per cent of Gaza’s population.
PHR-I’s legal-medical analysis focused specifically on the healthcare system’s collapse. “The evidence shows a deliberate and systematic dismantling of Gaza’s healthcare system and other vital systems necessary for the population’s survival,” the report stated. This includes direct attacks on hospitals, blocking of medical aid and evacuations, and the killing and arrest of medical personnel.
The World Health Organisation reported that 84 per cent of Gaza’s health centres have been destroyed or damaged, whilst all 12 universities and 80 per cent of schools lie in ruins. Approximately 70 per cent of all structures in Gaza are either completely destroyed or severely damaged.
Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens
The humanitarian crisis has reached alarming proportions, with the entire population of 2.3 million facing crisis-level food insecurity. Nearly half a million Palestinians are at risk of famine, according to UN assessments.
Malnutrition rates have skyrocketed, particularly amongst children. The WHO reported that of 74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 occurred in July alone, including 24 children under five. Global Acute Malnutrition rates amongst children under five in Gaza City have tripled since June, making it the worst-affected area in the territory.
“Parents are too hungry to care for their children,” said Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. “Those who reach UNRWA clinics don’t have the energy, food or means to follow medical advice.”
The crisis has been exacerbated by Israel’s blockade, which began in March 2025. Whilst some aid has resumed through the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, UN officials have condemned these distribution sites as “death traps” after more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed attempting to collect supplies.
Government Response and International Pressure
The Israeli government dismissed the allegations as “baseless.” David Mencer, a government spokesperson, argued: “There is no intent, which is key for the charge of genocide… it simply doesn’t make sense for a country to send in 1.9 million tonnes of aid, most of that being food, if there is an intent of genocide.”
Israeli officials maintain they are fighting an existential war against Hamas following the group’s deadly attack on 7 October 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. The military claims civilian casualties result from Hamas using human shields by embedding fighters in residential areas.
“Israel’s claim that Hamas fighters or members of other armed Palestinian groups were present in medical or civilian facilities, often made without providing any evidence, cannot justify or explain such widespread, systematic destruction,” B’Tselem’s report countered.
International Legal Proceedings
The genocide allegations add weight to existing international legal challenges. South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice in December 2023, accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention. In January 2024, the ICJ issued preliminary findings that South Africa’s claims were “plausible” and ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocidal acts.
Brazil announced last week it would formally intervene in the ICJ case, joining 13 other countries including Spain, Ireland, and Belgium in supporting South Africa’s position. The court has set deadlines for comprehensive legal submissions, with South Africa’s memorial due in October 2024 and Israel’s response by July 2025.
The International Criminal Court has separately issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes, which Israel has rejected.
Calls for Action
Both B’Tselem and PHR-I harshly criticised the international community’s response, arguing that Western support has enabled the humanitarian catastrophe. “It couldn’t happen without the support of the Western world,” Ms Novak stated. “Any leader that is not doing whatever they can to stop it is part of this horror.”
The United Kingdom, France, and Germany issued a joint statement last week calling the humanitarian crisis “man-made and avoidable,” demanding Israel immediately lift its blockade. However, the United States continues to provide military support whilst attempting to broker a ceasefire agreement.
Hamas welcomed the reports, calling them “a clear and unambiguous testimony from within Israeli society itself regarding the grave crimes perpetrated by the occupation regime against our people.
Warning of Wider Implications
B’Tselem warned that patterns of destruction seen in Gaza are already being replicated in the occupied West Bank, “albeit on a smaller scale,” raising concerns the violence could spread. The organisation documented escalating forcible transfers and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Israeli historian Tom Segev reflected on the domestic impact: “The major thing for Israelis is a question of the hostages, not necessarily the fate of the population in Gaza.” However, he warned that events in Gaza were “undermining the ideological and moral justification for the existence of Israel.”
As the war continues with no immediate end in sight, these unprecedented accusations from within Israeli society mark a watershed moment. Whether they influence Israeli policy or international action remains to be seen, but they represent a significant crack in the domestic consensus surrounding the Gaza campaign.
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