Top Genocide Scholars Say Israel’s Gaza War Meets Legal Definition

The world’s largest association of genocide experts says Israel’s campaign in Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide. In a resolution backed by 86% of voting members, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)—about 500 academics worldwide, including several Holocaust specialists—argued Israel’s actions satisfy Article II of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

“People who are experts in the study of genocide can see this situation for what it is,” said IAGS president Melanie O’Brien, a professor of international law in Australia.

The group’s statement acknowledges Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack—which ended in roughly 1,200 people killed and 251 hostages taken — as international crimes, but says those crimes do not justify genocide.

Israel flatly rejects the charge, calling the resolution an “embarrassment to the legal profession” and “disgraceful.” Jerusalem maintains it’s acting in self-defense against Hamas and disputes casualty figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began (the UN and many independent analysts treat the ministry as the most consistent source; Israel hasn’t provided a comprehensive alternative count).

The three-page IAGS resolution lists alleged crimes including deliberate attacks on civilians, starvation, blocking aid (food, water, fuel, medicine), sexual and reproductive violence, and forced displacement. It urges Israel to “immediately cease” acts the group says constitute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The finding lands as Israel faces parallel legal and diplomatic pressure. South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accuses Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention; proceedings could take years. Separately, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity—charges Israel also rejects.

Reaction has been swift. Hamas welcomed the IAGS move as validation for evidence presented to international tribunals. Some scholars note the vote reflects a view that has “become mainstream” in genocide studies circles. Israel’s allies counter that only courts, not professional groups, can render a formal genocide ruling—and warn the term is being politicized.

This latest resolution raises the stakes further—legally, diplomatically, and in the court of public opinion—over a war that has leveled large parts of Gaza, displaced most of its 2 million residents, and shows no sign of ending soon.

The Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and Reuters contributed to this report.