Two prominent Israeli human rights organizations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), have made a groundbreaking accusation against their own government, labeling its policies and actions in Gaza and the West Bank as constituting genocide against Palestinians. This marks the first instance where such groups within Israel have used the term "genocide" to describe ongoing state actions in these regions.

B’Tselem's extensive 88-page report scrutinizes the legal definition of genocide through historical, social, and legal lenses, concluding that actions and policies enforced by the Israeli government, alongside statements from senior politicians, collectively aim to annihilate the Palestinian group. PHRI focuses on the health implications, citing a systematic destruction of Palestinian infrastructure which they argue is intended to precipitate the group's partial or total destruction — a key element of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Both organizations argue that these actions demonstrate "special intent" or dolus specialis to commit genocide, a concept recognized in significant international judgments including the UN Special Tribunal on Rwanda's Akayesu case. They call upon Israel’s western allies to fulfill their legal and moral duties by intervening to halt these actions.

The Israeli government has vehemently denied these allegations, with a spokesperson branding the claims as "baseless" and asserting that the volume of Israeli aid sent to Gaza negates any genocidal intent. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has further dismissed the genocide allegations as antisemitic attacks against Israelis.

These accusations come in the wake of an attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in significant Israeli and foreign national casualties. The subsequent Israeli response has reportedly led to over 60,000 deaths in Gaza, escalating international scrutiny and condemnation.

Both B’Tselem and PHRI underscore their findings with victim and eyewitness testimonies, documentation, and legal consultations. Their reports align with reasoning used in previous UN committee reports and arguments presented at international courts, suggesting a pattern of behavior by Israel that indicates a genocidal intent toward Palestinians. The global community watches closely as these serious allegations unfold, urging a thorough and unbiased examination to ensure accountability and justice.