Eleanor Finch
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the longest-running and most violent disputes in the world, with a history that goes back more than a century. The conflict has resulted in a series of wars, uprisings, and crackdowns, with both sides committing war crimes and human rights violations. The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, has been ongoing since 1967. Israel's military occupation has been characterised by the expansion of settlements, the use of sophisticated weapons, and a two-tiered legal system that privileges Israeli settlers and civilians while subjecting Palestinians to martial law. Israel has been accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide, with a high civilian death toll, including a significant number of women and children. The UN and human rights organisations have also concluded that Israel has imposed a system of racial oppression and discrimination that constitutes apartheid. The ongoing conflict and occupation have had a devastating impact on the Palestinian people, eroding hope and leading to a tragic deformity in Palestinian political culture.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Killing of Palestinian civilians | 23,000 immediate fatalities, 60% of whom were women, children and older people |
| Forcible transfer and displacement of Palestinians | 1,151 individuals deported between 1967 and 1978; 4.5 million dunams of land seized from Palestinians |
| Destruction of civilian infrastructure | 70% of civilian infrastructure across the Gaza Strip damaged or destroyed |
| Use of starvation as a method of warfare | N/A |
| Sexual violence | N/A |
| Torture | N/A |
| Attacks on medical personnel and facilities | N/A |
| Collective punishment | N/A |
| Apartheid | N/A |
| Expansion of settlements | 5,000 settlement units announced in 2022 |
| Discrimination against Palestinians | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been ongoing since 1967, with Israel occupying Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The conflict has resulted in numerous allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both Israeli and Palestinian forces.
Israeli forces have been accused of perpetrating atrocity crimes in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. These allegations include the intentional targeting of civilians and civilian objects, resulting in high civilian death tolls, particularly among women and children. Israeli attacks have also caused mass displacement, damaged or destroyed civilian infrastructure, and obstructed or denied life-saving aid from reaching those in need.
Amnesty International has documented unlawful Israeli attacks, including indiscriminate attacks that failed to distinguish between civilian and military targets, amounting to violations of international humanitarian law. These attacks have resulted in mass civilian casualties and the destruction of entire families. Additionally, Israel has been accused of imposing a system of racial oppression and discrimination that satisfies the criteria for the crime of apartheid, a crime against humanity.
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has concluded that Israel has committed acts of genocide in Gaza, with statements from high-level Israeli officials providing evidence of genocidal intent. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued provisional measures to prevent genocide and facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has consistently defied.
In 2021, the ICC Prosecutor determined that there was a "reasonable basis" to believe that war crimes had been committed by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, and the ICC opened a formal investigation. In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the defence minister, and a Hamas leader for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ongoing conflict and occupation have resulted in a tragic deformity in Palestinian political culture, with many Palestinians rejecting moderate leadership and favouring armed struggle due to the traumatic impact of the occupation.
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Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing
Israel has been accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank. The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) concluded that Israel has committed at least three acts of genocide in Gaza and that there is evidence of genocidal intent. Israel's actions have resulted in a high civilian death toll, with thousands of Palestinians killed and injured, and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.
The term "apartheid" has increasingly been used to describe the situation in Israel and the OPT, with Israeli and Palestinian officials warning that Israel's policies and practices towards Palestinians could lead to a system of apartheid, if they have not already. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both asserted that Israel imposes a system of oppression and domination against Palestinians, privileging Jewish Israelis and subjecting Palestinians to discriminatory treatment. This includes the forcible transfer and displacement of Palestinians, home demolitions, and forced evictions, with millions of Palestinians remaining as refugees.
The UN Special Rapporteur has determined that Israel has imposed a system of racial oppression and discrimination that meets the evidentiary standard for the crime of apartheid. This system undermines family, social, and political ties between Palestinian communities and helps maintain Jewish Israeli control over land and demographics. Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been criticized as a flagrant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, impeding Palestinians' access to their land and resources.
The Obama administration's recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state" has been criticized as enabling Israel to continue practicing murder, torture, mass detention, house demolition, settler colonialism, state-sanctioned racism, and ethnic cleansing with impunity. Polling data reveals that a majority of Israelis do not view Palestinians as equal human beings, and a majority of Israeli Jews favor discrimination against Arab citizens. This extremist political culture has contributed to the tragic deformity in Palestinian political culture, with many Palestinians rejecting moderate leadership and favoring armed struggle.
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Israeli military occupation and expansion
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world's longest-running and most violent disputes, with roots going back over a century. The conflict centres around historic disputes over land, borders, and rights. The roots of the conflict can be traced back to the Balfour Declaration, in which the UK agreed in principle to the establishment of a "national home" in Palestine for Jewish people. This declaration deepened tensions between the Jewish and Arab populations in Palestine, which was then under British rule following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War One.
Since then, there have been a series of wars, uprisings, and crackdowns, with both sides committing atrocities. Israel has been accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in its military operations in Palestine. These include starvation as a method of warfare, attacks on civilians, sexual violence, torture, forcible transfer and displacement of Palestinians, and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities. Israel has also been accused of collective punishment and imposing a system of racial oppression and discrimination that constitutes apartheid.
The consequences of Israeli military occupation and expansion have been devastating for Palestinians. Israel's vast military superiority has resulted in a high civilian death toll, with Israeli attacks causing tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, injuries, and disappearances. The conflict has also led to the obstruction or denial of life-saving aid, damage to civilian infrastructure, and mass forced displacement of Palestinians. The ongoing occupation and settlement expansion have eroded hope among Palestinians, with deepening occupation, high levels of violence, and limited access to land and resources.
The situation has been further exacerbated by extremist political cultures in Israel, with polling data indicating that a majority of Israelis do not view Palestinians as equal human beings. This has contributed to a tragic deformity in Palestinian political culture, with many Palestinians rejecting moderate leadership and favouring armed struggle.
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Israeli violence and attacks on civilians
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been ongoing for decades, with both sides committing acts of violence and brutality. The conflict has resulted in numerous casualties and has had a devastating impact on civilians in both Israel and Palestine.
Israeli forces have been accused of perpetrating atrocity crimes, including possible war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. During military operations and attacks in Gaza, Israeli forces have been found to employ reckless violence and engage in wilful killings. They have used live ammunition, resulting in numerous fatalities and grave injuries, including those of children. Israeli attacks have caused high civilian death tolls due to direct, disproportionate, or indiscriminate attacks. For example, on 16 April, an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza deliberately killed 15 civilians, including 10 children playing around a football table.
Israeli forces have also been accused of using starvation as a method of warfare, intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects, sexual violence, torture, forcible transfer, and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities. They have obstructed or denied life-saving aid and damaged or destroyed life-sustaining infrastructure. The Israeli military administration has subjected Palestinians in the West Bank to forcible transfer by demolishing their homes and allowing or encouraging settlers to terrorize the inhabitants, sometimes participating in the violence. The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has resulted in the confiscation of Palestinian land, hindered economic development, and restricted freedom of movement for Palestinians.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has concluded that Israel has committed at least three constitutive acts of genocide in Gaza and that statements by high-level Israeli officials are evidence of genocidal intent. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued binding measures for Israel to prevent genocide and allow necessary aid to enter Gaza, which Israel has consistently defied.
It is important to note that the conflict is complex, and violence is not one-sided. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have also been accused of committing war crimes, including deliberately killing, injuring, and mistreating civilians, as well as taking hostages. The conflict has resulted in casualties on both sides, and efforts for a peaceful resolution are ongoing.
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Israeli violations of international law
Israel's violations of international law in its occupation of Palestine have been widely documented and condemned by human rights organisations and the United Nations.
War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
Israel has been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during its military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. These include indiscriminate attacks on civilians, the use of starvation as a weapon, torture, sexual violence, forcible transfer, and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities. Israel's actions have resulted in a high civilian death toll, with thousands of Palestinians killed and injured, including a significant number of women and children.
Genocide and Apartheid
There are also allegations of genocide against Israel, with the UN Special Rapporteur concluding that Israel has committed at least three constitutive acts of genocide in Gaza. This includes causing high death tolls among civilians, deliberately inflicting conditions to bring about their physical destruction, and obstructing or denying life-saving aid. Israel has also been accused of committing the crime of apartheid, through the forcible transfer and displacement of Palestinians, as well as imposing a system of racial oppression and discrimination.
Illegal Settlements and Annexation
The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has been deemed a flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law. Israel has established new settlements, confiscated land, and demolished Palestinian homes, resulting in the forced displacement of thousands of Palestinians. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, along with its settlement regime, annexation, and use of natural resources, to be unlawful.
Defying International Law and Impunity
Despite rulings and criticisms from the ICJ and the UN, Israel has consistently defied international law and its obligations as an occupying power. Israel has faced limited consequences due to the protection offered by its allies, leading to continued impunity. This has raised concerns about the erosion of the multilateral system and the need to hold Israel accountable for its actions.
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