The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the world’s leading body of genocide experts, declared in August that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Several other major human rights organisations, including two Israeli groups, have echoed the same conclusion.
Israel, however, continues to deny the accusation, insisting its actions in Gaza are acts of self-defence.
On Wednesday, Palestinian officials said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 22 people, including nine children, in Gaza City. Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal described the attack on the Souq Firas area as a “horrific massacre.” Footage from the scene showed rescuers pulling children’s bodies from the rubble.
“We were sleeping in God’s care, then suddenly everything was destroyed without warning,” said local resident Sami Hajjaj, describing how entire families had been wiped out.
The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted Hamas militants, adding that it made efforts to minimise civilian casualties.
Growing Humanitarian Crisis
Medical officials reported that a total of 51 people were killed across Gaza on the same day. Israeli ground forces also advanced further into the heart of Gaza City, forcing civilians to flee under heavy bombardment.
“We moved to the western area near the beach, but many families didn’t have the time. Tanks took them by surprise,” said Thaer, a 35-year-old father from Tel al-Hawa.
The Palestinian Red Crescent warned that the oxygen station at Al-Quds Hospital had stopped working after Israeli forces fired at it. The facility is now relying on a limited supply of pre-filled oxygen cylinders, expected to last just three days.
“Occupation forces are stationed at the hospital’s southern gate, preventing anyone from entering or leaving,” the organisation said.
The UN’s top hunger agency has previously warned that Israel’s blockade and offensive have driven parts of Gaza into famine conditions. Despite Israeli evacuation orders, aid agencies estimate that around 700,000 people remain in Gaza City, many unable or unwilling to leave.
Mounting Death Toll
Since the start of the war in October 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
The conflict began after Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel says its operations are aimed at forcing Hamas to surrender and release the remaining 48 hostages, of whom about 20 are believed to be alive.
Calls for Ceasefire
Critics argue that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war, rejecting peace efforts and blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state, while pursuing the expansion of Israeli settlements.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly this week, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the devastation in Gaza.
“In Gaza, the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year,” he said. “They are the result of decisions that defy basic humanity, with a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict in my years as secretary-general. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza.”
