Leading human rights organisation Amnesty International has issued a stark warning, stating that Israel is "still committing genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza, despite a ceasefire agreement that came into effect last month.
A Dangerous Illusion of Normalcy
The fragile truce, brokered by the United States, began on 10 October after two years of intense conflict. However, Amnesty's Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, contends that the calm is deceptive. "The ceasefire risks creating a dangerous illusion that life in Gaza is returning to normal," Callamard stated. "But while Israeli authorities and forces have reduced the scale of their attacks and allowed limited amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the world must not be fooled. Israel’s genocide is not over."
When contacted by Agence France-Presse for comment, the Israeli foreign ministry did not provide an immediate response. Historically, the ministry has vehemently rejected such allegations, labelling them as "entirely false", "fabricated", and "based on lies".
Ongoing Restrictions and Suffering
In an update released on Thursday, Amnesty detailed that Israel continues to severely restrict the entry of essential supplies and the restoration of services critical for the survival of Gaza's civilian population. The organisation emphasised that despite a reduction in the scale of military attacks and some minor improvements, there has been no meaningful change in the devastating conditions imposed on Palestinians.
"There is no evidence to indicate that Israel’s intent has changed," the report concluded. This assessment builds upon Amnesty's findings from December 2024, where it determined that Israel was committing genocide by deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians.
International Condemnation and Legal Context
The accusations from Amnesty are supported by other international bodies. In September 2025, an independent UN commission of inquiry also concluded that "genocide is occurring in Gaza". The investigation found that Israeli authorities had committed four of the five genocidal acts listed in the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
These acts include:
- Killing members of the group
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm
- Imposing living conditions intended to destroy the group
- Preventing births
Furthermore, the International Court of Justice last year ordered Israel to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide in the region.
The conflict was originally triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,221 people. Israel's subsequent retaliatory assault on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 69,799 Palestinians, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry, which the UN considers reliable. Since the ceasefire began, the ministry reports that 352 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.
