Is it genocide?

  What is genocide? I know this topic has seen its ups and downs in more recent years, depending on who you ask. You might say, “Well, genocide is the erasure of a people.” And for the most part, you would be correct. However, that begs questions like, did we commit genocide when we dropped the atomic bombs? Can genocide be justified? There is a point in this conversation, and you can quickly get lost in the semantics. Luckily, in 1948, the U.N. answered this question for us.

The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), with over 600 members from many different countries around the globe, has officially released a report claiming that what Israel is doing in Gaza is, by the UN’s standards, a genocide. The official report condemned Israel for their actions after Oct. 7 of 2023, and supported conclusions from U.N. News as stated, “The UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024; issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, together with a former Hamas commander, citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

The (IAGS) report read, “Therefore, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Declares that Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948); Declares that Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity as defined in international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;

Calls upon the government of Israel to immediately cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza, including deliberate attacks against and killing of civilians including children; starvation; deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other items essential to the survival of the population; sexual and reproductive violence; and forced displacement of the population;

Calls upon the government of Israel to comply with the Provisional Measures orders of the International Court of Justice;

Calls upon the state parties of the International Criminal Court to comply with their obligations, cooperate with the Court, and surrender any individual subject to an arrest warrant;

Calls upon all states to actively pursue policies to ensure respect for their obligations under international law, including under the Genocide Convention, the Arms Trade Treaty, and international humanitarian law, with regard to Israel and Palestine;

and Calls upon the government of Israel and all other United Nations members to support a process of repair and transitional justice that will afford democracy, freedom, dignity, and security for all people of Gaza.

Currently, as of 28 July 2025. Resolution passed 31 August 2025”