Israel denies Amnesty International genocide claims

The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Thursday defended the Israeli military against fresh allegations of genocide. It said it was Hamas, on Oct. 7, 2023, that committed an act of genocide against Israel. Furthermore, since that day Israeli citizens have been under attack on seven different fronts, the foreign ministry added.

Earlier in the day on Thursday, Amnesty International published a report saying it found evidence that Israel was committing genocidal acts in Gaza. The report claimed Israel routinely struck civilian targets with its airstrikes, and even when it struck military targets, it used explosive munitions that put nearby civilians at risk.

What does Amnesty International say should be done? The organization accused countries supplying Israel with military hardware of assisting it in its acts of genocide. It demanded that Israel’s allies, such as the United States and Germany cease weapons deliveries to Israel. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed roughly 42,000 people, Amnesty said.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about how President-elect Donald Trump vows to mobilize the U.S. military against Palestinian militants in Gaza if they don’t return all the hostages they took captive on Oct. 7 before he returns to office.