in talking with my daughter and her friends, i cannot think of one thing that has alienated young dem voters more

[snot]

143. "Genocide" does not require gas chambers.

"Now, an 'objective, methodological, and detailed analysis' conducted in part by the Boston University School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic as part of a report from the University Network for Human Rights (UNHR), a consortium of human rights centers at colleges across the world, has released its finding.

"The UNHR report, released in mid-May, concludes: 'Israel has committed genocidal acts, namely killing, seriously harming, and inflicting conditions of life calculated, and intended to, bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza,' says Susan Akram, a LAW clinical professor of law and director of LAW’s International Human Rights Clinic, who contributed to the report.

"The report was researched and written by UNHR members from LAW’s International Human Rights Clinic, ​​the International Human Rights Clinic at Cornell Law School, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and the Lowenstein Human Rights Project at Yale Law School.

The report’s conclusions are based on internationally agreed upon definitions of genocide. 'As set forth in the Genocide Convention of 1948,” the report reads, “the crime of genocide requires that a perpetrator kill, seriously harm, or inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of a group, in whole or in part, with the intent to destroy the group as such.' The report continues: 'after reviewing the facts established by independent human rights monitors, journalists, and United Nations agencies, we conclude that Israel’s actions in and regarding Gaza since October 7, 2023, violate the Genocide Convention.'”

More at https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/is-israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza/ .

"According to a United Nations agency and a growing number of experts and rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, Israel has committed genocidal acts against the Palestinian people during its ongoing invasion and bombing of the Gaza Strip as part of the Israel–Hamas war. Various observers, including the UN Special Committee to investigate Israeli practices and the United Nations Special Rapporteur, have cited statements by senior Israeli officials that may indicate an 'intent to destroy' Gaza's population in whole or in part, a necessary condition for the legal threshold of genocide to be met.

"By mid-August 2024, it was confirmed that the Israeli military's actions had caused the deaths of at least 40,000 people in the Gaza Strip—1 out of every 59 people—averaging 148 deaths per day. Most of the victims are civilians, of whom at least 50% are women and children. Compared to other recent global conflicts, the numbers of known deaths of journalists, humanitarian and health workers, and children are among the highest. Thousands of more dead bodies are thought to be under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The Lancet has estimated 70,000 deaths due to traumatic injuries. The number of injured is greater than 100,000; Gaza has the most child amputees per capita in the world. As of August 2024, only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were partially functional; 84% of its health centers have been destroyed or suffered damage. An enforced Israeli blockade heavily contributed to starvation and the threat of famine in Gaza, while some Israeli civilians have blocked or attacked aid convoys delivering humanitarian supplies across the border. Early in the conflict, Israel cut off Gaza's water and electricity supply. Israel has also destroyed numerous culturally significant buildings, such as all of Gaza's 12 universities, 80% of its schools, and numerous mosques, churches, museums, and libraries.

"The government of South Africa has instituted proceedings, South Africa v. Israel, against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging a violation of the Genocide Convention. In an initial ruling, the ICJ held that South Africa was entitled to bring its case against Israel, while Palestinians were recognised to have a right to protection from genocide. The court ordered Israel to observe its obligations under the Genocide Convention by taking all measures within its power to prevent the commission of acts of genocide, to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, and to allow basic humanitarian services into Gaza. The court also later ordered Israel to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza and to prevent genocidal acts during the Rafah offensive. The Israeli government rejected South Africa's allegations."

{Footnotes omittied.} More at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_genocide

"On 5 December [2024], Amnesty International concluded after an investigation that 'Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip'. A few days later, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) stated that after research and analysis, it concluded that 'there is a legally sound argument that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza'.

"A few days after that, Human Rights Watch (HRW) declared that 'Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and for acts of genocide', and Médecins Sans Frontières reported that its medical 'teams in the north of Gaza are seeing clear signs of ethnic cleansing'. Earlier in November, HRW also concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to 'war crimes' and 'crimes against humanity', and appeared to 'also meet the definition of ethnic cleansing'."

More at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/23/israel-gaza-war-genocide-where-is-the-action .