The attacks that have continued in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023 have led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. According to official data, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, thousands remain under the rubble, and more than 9,000 persons are missing. In addition, according to reports of the United Nations, the number of people dying from hunger as a result of the blockade and the attacks is steadily increasing.
In the most recent report of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, it has been established that Israel’s actions in Gaza correspond to acts of genocide as defined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Commission concludes that the Israeli authorities have committed four of the five genocidal acts described in the Convention:
- Killing civilians;
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm;
- Deliberately inflicting living conditions calculated to bring about the physical destruction of a people in whole or in part;
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births.
In this context, we, the Amsterdam Law Center, call upon the international community – in particular the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court – to take effective measures in response to the genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed by Israel.
We specifically request the following concrete steps:
- The suspension of Israel’s representation within international organizations;
- The full and unqualified implementation of the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court;
- The immediate activation of humanitarian intervention mechanisms to protect the civilian population.
In order to bring an end to this grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we make an urgent appeal to all states, international organizations, and civil society to comply with their obligations under international law and to act without delay to prevent genocide.
Amsterdam Law Center
