The following is just the facts. I have written nothing but this introduction. Everything else is from the dictionary and news sources. When does the victim become the villain? When does the persecuted become the persecutor?
Genocide is “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.” (Oxford English Dictionary).
Holocaust is “a mass slaughter of people especially : genocide.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
A recent report from the UN Special Committee states that Israel’s military actions in Gaza, characterized by mass civilian casualties and the intentional deprivation of essential resources, align with the definition of genocide. The report highlights the systematic destruction of infrastructure and the obstruction of humanitarian aid, which have led to severe humanitarian crises, including starvation and lack of medical care.
Amnesty International has published findings asserting that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The report details actions such as killings, inflicting serious bodily harm, and creating living conditions aimed at the physical destruction of the Palestinian people. It emphasizes the need for immediate international action to prevent further atrocities.
For first time, two leading Israeli human rights groups accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza. B’Tselem said in a major report released on Monday that it came to that “unequivocal conclusion” after an “examination of Israel’s policy in the Gaza Strip and its horrific outcomes, together with statements by senior Israeli politicians and military commanders about the goals of the attack.”
A second Israeli group, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), announced it was joining B’Tselem in calling Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide. It published a separate legal and medical analysis documenting what it called “deliberate and systematic extermination of the health system in Gaza.”
Sources
- https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/11/un-special-committee-finds-israels-warfare-methods-gaza-consistent-genocide
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/12/amnesty-international-concludes-israel-is-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza/
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/28/middleeast/israeli-human-rights-group-accuses-israel-genocide-gaza-intl