‘Predetermined conclusion’: Amnesty Israel rejects Gaza genocide report by Amnesty Intl

Palestinians gathering to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen in northern Gaza, October 2024

Or Kashti reports in Haaretz on 5 December 2024:

The Israeli branch of Amnesty rejected the international organization’s new report that accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.  “[We] found sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip,” the report, which was published Wednesday, states.

In response to the report, Amnesty Israel, which operates as a separate NGO from the international body, said that despite the scope of attacks on civilians in Gaza, it is doubtful that “the element of intent in perpetrating the full or partial extermination of the Palestinian population in the framework of the war” has been proven.

A statement by employees, including some in managerial roles, obtained by Haaretz reveals internal divisions within the veteran human rights organization.

According to the majority opinion of Amnesty Israel, despite the scope of “the atrocities committed in the Gaza Strip against civilians, which on the face of it may resemble genocide, the international convention dealing with this crime, and the international law created as a result of it, also requires proof that these crimes were committed with a ‘special intent’ and specifically to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinian population of Gaza. Many of us have doubts about the possibility of proving this intent in an unambiguous manner.”

However, a small number of Israeli members argued that, “according to the available information, it can be determined that Israel is committing or has committed genocide in Gaza.”  In a joint statement, they argued that “the report does not substantiate the allegation that Israel intends to annihilate and destroy the Palestinian people.”

They also argue that report’s “artificial analysis” – especially with regard to the widespread destruction in Gaza, which allegedly indicates a genocidal intent – suggests that the authors “reached a predetermined conclusion – and did not draw a conclusion based on an objective review of the facts and the law.”  “From the outset, the report was referred to in internal correspondence as the ‘genocide report,’ even when research was still in its initial stages,” the Jewish employees reveal.

“This is a strong indication of bias and also a factor that can cause additional bias: imagine how difficult it is for a researcher to work for months on a report titled ‘genocide report’ and then to have to conclude that it is ‘only’ about crimes against humanity. Predetermined conclusions of this kind are not typical of other Amnesty International investigations.”

The joint statement further stated that the report “is motivated by a desire to support a popular narrative among Amnesty International’s target audience,” and that it stems “unfortunately, from an atmosphere within Amnesty International of minimizing the seriousness of the October 7 massacre.

“It is a failure – and sometimes even a refusal – to address the Israeli victims in a personal and humane manner.” According to the Jewish staff, the international organization also “ignored efforts to raise these concerns.”

The statement calls on Amnesty International to “critically reconsider the working procedures and methodologies that led to the publication of this flawed report. It is imperative to examine the underlying processes, decisions and biases that contributed to this conclusion … Protecting human rights must be free from political bias. Only thus can we ensure that the human rights of all people are upheld without compromise.”

The report address the period between October 7, 2023, and the start of July 2024, and is based on interviews with around 200 Gazans and representatives of the various authorities in the Strip. It also relied on photo analysis and satellite images, as well as statement from senior Israeli officials, in the government and the defense establishment.

In the year after the Hamas attack, the report stated, Israel killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, including around 13,300 children, and injured more than 97,000 “many of them in direct or deliberately indiscriminate attacks, often wiping out entire multi-generational families.”

The war “caused unprecedented destruction, which experts say occurred at a level and speed not seen in any other conflict in the 21st century, levelling entire cities and destroying critical infrastructure, agricultural land and cultural and religious sites. It thereby rendered large swathes of Gaza uninhabitable.”

The Israel Defense Forces dismissed the report’s claims as baseless, emphasizing its adherence to international law and efforts to minimize harm to civilians during its operations against Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attacks.  The IDF highlighted measures such as evacuation warnings and safe passage for civilians, stated that it continuously improves practices, and accused Hamas of violating international law by using human shields and targeting Israeli civilians.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a strong response, labeling Amnesty International “deplorable and fanatical.” The ministry accused the organization of producing a “fabricated report” and emphasized that “Israel is defending itself … acting fully in accordance with international law.”

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