The latest report by B’Tselem, published in late July 2025, declares that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The report, entitled, Our Genocide, presents a detailed analysis of Israel’s military actions since October 2023, documenting devastating outcomes including over 59,700 deaths and 144,000 injuries among Palestinians in Gaza. It concludes that Israel is executing a coordinated strategy aimed at the deliberate annihilation of Palestinian society in Gaza, based on a combination of military operations and statements from Israeli officials and commanders. The report describes this as a shift in Israeli policy from repression and control to outright destruction and annihilation of the Gaza population. This is the first time leading Israeli human rights groups have made such a charge, joining a few international organizations in accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
The report also situates the Gaza conflict within a broader historical context tracing back to the establishment of Israel in 1948, alleging ongoing settler-colonial policies including displacement, demographic manipulation, ethnic cleansing, and imposition of military rule over Palestinians. B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel called on both Israelis and the international community to take urgent legal and political action to stop the genocide.
The Israeli government, of course, denies these genocide allegations, contesting the charges at the International Court of Justice, and maintains that its military actions comply with international law. The Israel Defense Forces bizarrely continue to emphasize efforts to avoid civilian casualties and instead accuse Hamas of using civilians as human shields. An upside-down world, indeed.
This groundbreaking position by Israeli organizations has sparked intense debate both within Israel and internationally, marking a significant moment in human rights discourse on the Gaza conflict
The key findings of B’Tselem’s report on Gaza are as follows:
• Since October 2023, Israel has shifted its policy toward Palestinians in Gaza, conducting an intensive military campaign now lasting more than 21 months, which B’Tselem characterizes as a coordinated strategy to deliberately annihilate Palestinian society in Gaza.
• The report documents catastrophic human losses with over 59,700 Palestinians killed and approximately 144,000 injured during this period.
• B’Tselem concludes that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, citing Israeli officials’ and military commanders’ statements indicating intent to destroy Palestinian society.
• The report places the current conflict in the broader historical context of ongoing settler-colonial policies since Israel’s founding in 1948, including displacement, demographic engineering, ethnic cleansing, and military rule imposed on Palestinians.
• It highlights the systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system as part of this genocidal policy, with deliberate attacks on medical infrastructure and personnel documented by Physicians for Human Rights Israel, detailing a strategy to destroy Palestinian lives through health system devastation.
• Since October 2024, efforts to forcibly remove Palestinians from northern Gaza amount to ethnic cleansing, with around 100,000 displaced by November 2024.
• The scope of violence extends beyond Gaza, with increased Israeli military operations and forcible transfer campaigns in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, showing worrying replication of patterns of destruction.
• The report emphasizes that this genocidal campaign has broad societal support within Israel and is normalized by Israel’s judiciary and political class.
• B’Tselem also reaffirms its previous designation of Israel’s governance in historic Palestine as apartheid, reflecting systemic discrimination and dehumanization of Palestinians.
These findings mark a historic and significant position by an Israeli human rights organization declaring Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, calling for urgent legal and political action globally.
The Israeli government denies the genocide allegations, asserting military operations comply with international law and rejecting intent to commit genocide.
This report is a landmark contribution to human rights analysis of the Gaza conflict and Israel-Palestine relations.
Here is the complete report:
