Criticism from within

TWO prominent Israeli rights groups have said their country is committing genocide in Gaza, the first time that local Jewish-led organisations have made such accusations against Israel during nearly 22 months of war.

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The claims by B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI) add to an explosive debate over whether Israel’s military offensive in Gaza - launched in response to Hamas's deadly attack on October 7, 2023 - amounts to genocide.

The Palestinians, their supporters and international human rights groups make that claim, and the International Court of Justice is hearing a genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel, but in Israel, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, even the government's strongest critics have largely refrained from making such accusations.