Invitation to participate in a special Panel Discussion (online)
Addressing the Unfolding Gaza Genocide: A Legal Perspective for Global Action
Thursday 7. December 2023 || 12:00 – 14:00 Jerusalem || 10:00 – 12:00 GMT
For nearly two months, Gaza has been subjected to relentless airstrikes, targeting civilians and vital infrastructure—hospitals, UN facilities, homes, and religious sites. Israel’s actions, including cutting of essential supplies, forced displacement, and dehumanizing rhetoric, not only violate international law but may also potentially constitute genocide under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute.
These actions are part of a historical pattern of grave injustices across Palestine—illegal settlements, settler violence, forced displacement, undignified living conditions, cultural erasure, and infrastructure destruction. Understanding this broader context is crucial to grasping the alleged crime of genocide by Israel against Palestinians.
While initially confined to specific human rights organizations and scholars, the term “genocide” is gaining global prominence due to the current Gaza situation. A petition endorsed by 800 scholars, legal actions, and calls from UN experts underscore the gravity of the situation, emphasizing the urgent need for global intervention.
In response to these significant developments, it is imperative for the international community to act promptly, adhering to its legal responsibility to prevent the crime of genocide, as articulated in both the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute. “Never Again” should guide present action.
This online event, jointly organized by the Law for Palestine organization and the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Palestine, aims to delve into the legal aspects related to the crime of genocide and the obligations incumbent upon third states in light of these circumstances, with a specific focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip/Palestine.
The event will address the following questions:
- How does the Genocide Convention/Rome Statute apply to the current situation in Gaza and the broader Palestinian context, and to what extent can it be classified as genocide?
- What are the state responsibilities and individual criminal liabilities for committing genocide? What are the potential consequences for third states found complicit?
- What obligations do third states and the international community bear to prevent genocide? Is referring the case to the ICJ a viable option?
