The International Association of Genocide Scholars, representing more than 500 experts worldwide, has officially declared that Israel’s assault on Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide. Backed by an overwhelming majority, the resolution pointed to the mass killing of civilians, the use of starvation as a weapon, the destruction of vital infrastructure, and the forced displacement of an entire population. These actions, it stressed, also constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This rare designation, only the tenth in the association’s history, comes as the International Court of Justice reviews South Africa’s case against Israel, which accuses it of incitement to genocide and deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid. The scholars’ statement reflects a growing international consensus that Gaza is enduring one of the gravest crimes of modern times.

After more than two years of unrelenting bombardment, siege, and famine, tens of thousands lie dead, many of them children, while the survivors face the collapse of health, food, and education systems. The decision is expected to intensify global pressure, fuelling urgent calls to lift the blockade, hold those responsible to account, and deliver immediate protection to civilians trapped under genocide.