Israel calls Amnesty claims of genocide in Gaza 'entirely false'
Israeli soldiers detain members of staff from the Tubas Turkish Governmental Hospital in Tubas in the occupied West Bank on December 3, 2024. (AFP Photo)
December 05, 2024 11:36 AM GMT+03:00
Israel dismissed as "entirely false" an Amnesty International report on Thursday accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
"The deplorable and fanatical organisation Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies," Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement said that it was instead Hamas's unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that was "genocidal."
"Israel is defending itself... acting fully in accordance with international law," it said.
Israeli soldiers lead blindfolded detainees along a street during a military raid in Dura, south of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank on October 31, 2024. (Photo by Hazem BADER / AFP)An Israeli army vehicle blocks a road during a raid in Qabatiya, south of Jenin city in the occupied West Bank on November 5, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)Israeli forces stand atop a Merkava tank stationed near the border with Lebanon in the upper Galilee region of northern Israel on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel took effect. - A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took hold on November 27 after more than a year of fighting that has killed thousands, with displaced people returning home in the south, against warnings from both sides. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)Israeli settlers fire at Palestinians (unseen) while an Israeli soldier (L) stands by during clashes in the town of Huwara in the occupied West Bank on October 13, 2022. (AFP Photo)
Rights group Amnesty said its findings were based on "dehumanising and genocidal statements by Israeli government and military officials," satellite images documenting devastation, fieldwork and ground reports from Gazans.
Amnesty said its 300-page report was a "wake-up call" for the international community, and urged states to stop transferring weapons to Israel.
Hamas's October 7 attack that sparked the war last year resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 44,532 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry.
December 05, 2024 11:36 AM GMT+03:00