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1. International Judicial Bodies
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
The principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
- Order of 26 January 2024 (South Africa v. Israel):
"At least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa to have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the Convention... The Court considers that there is a real and imminent risk that irreparable prejudice will be caused to the rights found by the Court to be plausible."
- Legal Implication: Establishes the plausibility of genocide, triggering the duty of prevention for third states and corporations.
- Read Official Order
- Advisory Opinion (July 2024):
"The State of Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful... Israel is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible."
- Legal Implication: Declares the occupation itself illegal, rendering contracts related to settlements or occupation infrastructure void ab initio.
- Read Advisory Opinion
International Criminal Court (ICC)
The permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for international crimes.
- Office of the Prosecutor (Statement on Arrest Warrant Applications):
Issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for "crimes against humanity and war crimes... including starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, willfully causing great suffering, and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population."
- Specific Charges: Extermination, murder, and persecution.
- Read Prosecutor's Statement
2. United Nations Bodies
UN Special Rapporteurs
Independent human rights experts mandated to report and advise on human rights.
- Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the OPT (Report: "Gaza Genocide: A Collective Crime"): "The threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide... has been met. The overwhelming nature and scale of Israel's assault on Gaza and the destructive conditions of life it has inflicted reveal an intent to physically destroy Palestinians as a group."
- Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food: "We are witnessing a situation of genocide... Israel has destroyed the food system in Gaza and used food as a weapon of war."
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- Statement on War Crimes Against Children: "Gaza has become a graveyard for children... The killing and maiming of children, abduction of children, attacks on hospitals and schools, and the denial of humanitarian access constitute grave violations of children's rights."
UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
- Attacks on UN Facilities: "UNRWA buildings have been hit... No place is safe, not even UN facilities." Confirmed over 400 attacks on UN premises and the killing of over 200 UN staff members, constituting direct violations of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
- Thematic Report (Nov 2024): Condemned violations that "could amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide," citing specific evidence of indiscriminate targeting and destruction of civilian infrastructure.
3. Major Human Rights Organisations
Amnesty International
- Investigation: Indiscriminate Attacks and War Crimes: "Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza." Documented specific unlawful airstrikes, including on the Maghazi refugee camp and residential homes in Rafah, stating these "failed to distinguish between military objectives and civilian objects."
- Report: "Israel's Apartheid against Palestinians": "Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention, with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza." (Note: Citation refers to finding of specific intent in context of broader Apartheid analysis).
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
- Investigation: Use of White Phosphorus: "Israel: White Phosphorus Used in Gaza, Lebanon." Validated video evidence and witness accounts showing the use of airburst white phosphorus munitions over Gaza City port and rural locations, confirming a violation of international humanitarian law regarding incendiary weapons in populated areas.
- Report: "Starvation as a Weapon of War": Accused the Israeli government of "the crime against humanity of extermination and acts of genocide," focusing heavily on the deliberate deprivation of water and essential services.
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
- Resolution on Genocide: "Israel's actions in Gaza constitute an unfolding genocide." FIDH was one of the first major international bodies to adopt a resolution explicitly using the term genocide, calling on third states to suspend trade relations.
4. Press Freedom and Journalist Protection
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
- Complaints to the ICC: Filed three separate complaints with the ICC regarding "war crimes against journalists," citing the deliberate targeting of over 100 media professionals. "Targeting journalists is a war crime."
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
- Deadliest Period on Record: Declared the conflict the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992, citing a pattern of targeting that suggests intent to suppress coverage.
5. Humanitarian and Medical Organisations
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
- Statement on Humanitarian Collapse: "The hostilities have caused a total collapse of the humanitarian protection system." The ICRC, typically neutral, stated that "Hospitals risk turning into morgues," highlighting the failure to adhere to the laws of war regarding medical neutrality.
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)
- Official Statement: "We are witnessing a war waged on civilians... The healthcare system has been systematically dismantled." MSF has repeatedly highlighted that the conditions created by the siege are incompatible with human survival.
Oxfam International
- Report on Water Weaponisation: "Israel is using water as a weapon of war," reporting that water supplies were cut by 94% compared to pre-October levels, creating a deadly health catastrophe.
Save the Children
- Grave Violations Against Children: "The number of children reported killed in Gaza in just three weeks has surpassed the annual number of children killed in all other armed conflicts worldwide since 2019."
6. Academic and Legal Scholarship
International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)
- Executive Board Statement: Warned of the risk of genocide early in the conflict and noted that the pattern of conduct reflects an intent to destroy the group.
Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention
- Active Genocide Alert: Issued multiple alerts stating: "There is no doubt that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza."
University Network for Human Rights (Consortium)
- Comprehensive Legal Analysis (May 2024): Published "Genocide in Gaza," a legal analysis by the University Network for Human Rights, the International Human Rights Clinic at Boston University School of Law, the International Human Rights Clinic at Cornell Law School, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, and the Lowenstein Human Rights Project at Yale Law School. Key finding: "Israel has committed genocidal acts... targeting Palestinians in Gaza as a protected group."
800+ Scholars of International Law (TWAILR)
- Public Statement: "We are compelled to sound the alarm about the possibility of the crime of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip." This statement, signed by over 800 scholars and practitioners of international law, highlights the specific intent evident in public statements by Israeli officials.
Dr. Raz Segal (Endowed Professor in Study of Modern Genocide)
- Jewish Currents Analysis: "Israel's assault on Gaza is a textbook case of genocide." Segal's analysis focuses on the explicit and unashamed intent articulated by Israeli leaders, distinguishing it from genocides where intent is typically concealed.
7. How to Use This Document
For General Counsel and Legal Teams
- Quote the ICJ, ICC, and RSF (War Crimes against Journalists) sections. These establish specific criminal liabilities under the Rome Statute.
- Phrasing: "The company cannot claim ignorance of these risks when the ICC Prosecutor has applied for warrants citing 'extermination' and 'starvation' as methods of warfare."
For Investor Relations and ESG Teams
- Quote Amnesty International, FIDH, and Human Rights Watch. These organisations are the benchmarks for ESG rating agencies (MSCI, Sustainalytics).
- Phrasing: "Amnesty International's documentation of indiscriminate attacks creates an immediate severe controversy flag for our ESG rating."
For Supply Chain and Procurement
- Quote Oxfam, WHO, and UNICEF.
- Phrasing: "Reliance on a supply chain located in a zone where UNICEF describes a graveyard for children violates our Supplier Code of Conduct regarding basic human rights."
Last updated: January 2026