Amnesty International

07/28/2025

Following the landmark publication of two reports by leading Israeli human rights organizations B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:

“With the publication of these two reports, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel become the first two Israeli organizations to state it loud and clear, based on meticulous documentation and research: Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This is another milestone in the human rights community’s efforts to hold Israeli authorities accountable for their crimes against Palestinians.

“Amid ongoing efforts by the Israeli government to crack down on the work of Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations, such publications demanded courage and unyielding commitment to justice and accountability. Their findings must be heeded by the international community and translated into action to stop Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian Territory, and dismantle its system of apartheid against all Palestinians whose rights Israel controls.”

“B’Tselem’s report builds on a large body of work undertaken for decades to document Israel’s crimes under international law and demonstrate the cloak of impunity that has sheltered Israeli authorities from accountability. The report’s findings on the occupied West Bank, including Israel’s campaign of forcible transfer, are particularly damning and illustrate the importance of twinning the call to stop Israel’s genocide with clear demands to end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian Territory and dismantle its system of apartheid.”

“Physicians for Human Rights Israel’s report comprehensively documents Israel’s deliberate and systematic destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza. Taking the violations against the healthcare system and healthcare workers in their totality, its harrowing examination clearly lays out how the damage and destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza is not merely a byproduct of war, but rather part of a deliberate and calculated policy to destroy Palestinian lives in Gaza in what amounts to genocide.”

“The publication of these reports coincides with the start of the UN conference on Palestine in New York. Their unequivocal findings add to the inescapable call for participating states to recognize Israel’s action against Palestinians in Gaza for what it is: genocide. States know their obligations; there is no more time for performative debates, they must take urgent and effective measures to end Israel’s impunity for its human rights violations against Palestinians and stop its genocide, apartheid and unlawful occupation. Palestinians have already suffered irreversible harm; the horrors inflicted will require generations to recover from. States must not miss yet another opportunity to change course, restore some faith in international law and enable Palestinians to begin their recovery process.”