The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the world’s largest body of experts on genocide, adopted a resolution declaring that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Supported by 86 percent of its 500 members, the resolution cited the killing or injury of 50,000 children, forced displacement, and the destruction of housing as evidence under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
IAGS condemned Israel’s targeting of civilians, starvation tactics, and dehumanizing rhetoric by leaders. Its president, Melanie O’Brien, said the statement affirms that Gaza’s devastation constitutes genocide.
Israel rejected the decision as “shameful” and “based on Hamas’s lies,” insisting its actions are self-defense. The case is also before the International Court of Justice, with Israel due to present its defense in 2026.