Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza? We asked 5 legal and genocide experts how to interpret the violence
- Written by Melanie O'Brien, Associate Professor in International Law, The University of Western Australia
In January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a provisional ruling in a case brought by South Africa against Israel, alleging genocide in Gaza. The court found Palestinians have a “plausible” right to protection from genocide in Gaza and that Israel must take all measures to prevent a genocide from occurring.
Since then, United Nations experts and human rights groups have concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. In recent weeks, others have done the same, including leading genocide scholars and two Israeli human rights groups.
While the ICJ case may take years to play out, we asked five Australian experts in international law and genocide studies what constitutes a genocide, what the legal standard is, and whether the evidence, in their view, shows one is occurring.
Authors: Melanie O'Brien, Associate Professor in International Law, The University of Western Australia
Hashtag.net.au
