2 weeks ago
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The Israel branch of Amnesty International has disowned a controversial report from its own organisation accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
The Israeli wing of the human rights group stated that it was not involved in the research, funding, or writing of the report, and emphatically denied the claim that genocide has occurred in Gaza.
In a statement, Amnesty Israel said: "We do not accept the claim that genocide has been proven to be taking place in the Gaza Strip, nor do we accept the operative findings of the report."
The organisation acknowledged the "horrific" scale of destruction and loss of life resulting from Israeli actions in Gaza but argued that the events do not meet the legal definition of genocide as outlined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
While condemning the high civilian toll and calling for an immediate end to the conflict, Amnesty Israel asserted that "the scale of the killing and destruction carried out by Israel in Gaza has reached horrific proportions and must be stopped immediately".
However, it emphasised that these actions do not satisfy the criteria for genocide, noting that "the events do not meet the definition of genocide as strictly laid out in the Convention".
The Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned the 295-page report, describing it as "entirely false and based on lies".
The IDF also rejected the accusations, calling them "entirely baseless" and arguing that the report fails to consider the "operational realities" Israel faces in the region.
Despite rejecting the genocide claim, Amnesty Israel expressed concern about the possibility of other international law violations, stating that Israel's actions in Gaza "raise suspicions of widespread and serious violations of international law and crimes against humanity".
It called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, which have been ongoing since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks on southern Israel which killed around 1,200 Israelis and taking around 250 hostage.
Amnesty Israel also criticised the broader Amnesty International movement for what it sees as a double standard in addressing Israel and Hamas.
The statement pointed out that both the October 7 massacre by Hamas and Israel's actions in Gaza have been labelled as genocides, underscoring the need for consistent standards when investigating such claims.
"It is imperative and correct to investigate these allegations and ensure that the standard required to prove intent to commit genocide is universal and consistent for all parties," the statement read.
In a separate statement reported by Haaretz, several members of Amnesty Israel and Jewish members of Amnesty International took issue with the report’s framing.
They accused the report of presenting an "artificial analysis" of the situation in Gaza.
According to the statement, the report was referred to as the "genocide report" from the very beginning, even while research was still in its early stages.
This, they argued, indicated bias and made it difficult for researchers to present an unbiased conclusion. "Predetermined conclusions of this kind are not typical of other Amnesty International investigations," the statement noted.
The members criticised the report as being motivated by a desire to support a narrative that aligns with the views of Amnesty's target audience.
They called on the organisation to "critically reconsider the working procedures and methodologies that led to the publication of this flawed report."
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