Al-Qalam 
Ahmed Motala, a former UN Human Rights investigator, says the report by Amnesty International will strengthen South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice. Ismail Suder reports.
As the United States makes a last-ditch effort to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, Amnesty International released a bombshell report yesterday saying there was sufficient basis to conclude that Israel is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.
In a landmark report published entitled ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza,” said in the wake of the deadly Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel has unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians in Gaza brazenly, continuously and with total impunity.
Ahmed Motala of Johannesburg, a former UN Human Rights investigator previously based in Switzerland, told Al-Qalam that this report also “puts other governments on notice”, in particular the US, UK, Germany and France, that they are complicit in genocide and may be held accountable.
“As one of the oldest international human rights organisations, Amnesty International is respected by its supporters and critics for its independence and impartiality, and for its thorough research before making a pronouncement on Human Rights situations.
This is borne out in its most recent report declaring that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Genocide deniers will find it difficult to dismiss this report.
“Amnesty International’s report adds to the plethora of verified evidence already presented publicly by the UN Commission of Inquiry headed by Judge Navi Pillay, by the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and a number of organisations and academics. This report will strengthen South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice and, more importantly, provide leads for the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to investigate and bring charges against those responsible for genocide.
“Of immediate importance is the role of the report and the evidence it presents for advocacy to halt all arms supplies to Israel and all other support that prolongs the genocide, including South Africa’s supply of coal to Israel. The report also puts other governments on notice, in particular the US, UK, Germany and France, that they are complicit in genocide and may be held accountable.
“The AI report strengthens Nicaragua’s case against Germany at the ICJ seeking to declare Germany’s support for Israel’s war against the Palestinians a violation of the Genocide Convention.
Several cases are pending in national courts, for example, in the UK and the Netherlands, that halt arms sales will benefit from the information and analysis in the report.
“The AI report is a powerful rebuke of the stubborn refusal of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy to acknowledge that the atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians constitutes genocide, Motala said.
In its hard-hitting report, Amnesty International said its conclusive findings demonstrate that Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.
Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said, “These acts include killings, causing serious bodily or mental harm and deliberately inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction. Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them.”
“Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now.
“States that continue to transfer arms to Israel at this time must know they are violating their obligation to prevent genocide and are at risk of becoming complicit in genocide. All states with influence over Israel, particularly key arms suppliers like the USA and Germany, but also other EU member states, the UK and others, must act now to bring Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza to an immediate end.”
The Human Rights group said over the past two months, the crisis has grown particularly acute in the North Gaza governorate, where a besieged population is facing starvation, displacement and annihilation amid relentless bombardment and suffocating restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid.
“Our research reveals that, for months, Israel has persisted in committing genocidal acts, fully aware of the irreparable harm it was inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza. It continued to do so in defiance of countless warnings about the catastrophic humanitarian situation and of legally binding decisions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Israel to take immediate measures to enable the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.”.
Callamard said: “Israel has repeatedly argued that its actions in Gaza are lawful and can be justified by its military goal to eradicate Hamas. But genocidal intent can co-exist alongside military goals and does not need to be Israel’s sole intent.”
