Israel rejects claims of genocide in Gaza raised by Israeli rights groups

The Israeli government on Monday rejected accusations by two local human rights groups that it is committing genocide in Gaza, calling the claim “a vile, politically motivated document.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the AP that the accusation is baseless and only emboldens Hamas. It insisted that Israel is targeting Hamas, not civilians.

The statement followed accusations by two prominent Israeli human rights groups — B’Tselem (The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights) and Physicians for Human Rights–Israel — which accused their government of committing genocide in Gaza. It marks the first time that Jewish-led local organisations have made such a claim since the war began nearly 22 months ago.

Their statements have added weight to the ongoing debate over whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza — launched in response to the deadly Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 — amounts to genocide.

These claims are also being made by Palestinians, their supporters, and international human rights groups.

The International Court of Justice is currently reviewing a genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel.

Within Israel, such accusations remain rare, even among the government critics. This is due to the country’s deep sensitivity surrounding the Holocaust and the lasting trauma of the Nazi genocide of European Jews. Many Israelis view the war in Gaza as a justified response to the deadliest attack in the country’s history, not as an act of genocide.