Amnesty International has issued a stark warning that Israel continues to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect last month. The human rights organisation emphasised that the truce creates a 'dangerous illusion' of normality while the humanitarian crisis deepens.
Ceasefire Fails to Halt Casualties
According to Gaza's health ministry, 352 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began. The fragile US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 10 October, following two years of devastating conflict that has left Gaza in ruins.
Amnesty's secretary general, Agnès Callamard, stated: 'The ceasefire risks creating a dangerous illusion that life in Gaza is returning to normal. While Israeli authorities have reduced the scale of their attacks and allowed limited humanitarian aid, the world must not be fooled. Israel's genocide is not over.'
Pattern of Genocidal Acts Continues
In December 2024, Amnesty concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza by three of the five acts defined in the 1948 UN genocide convention. The organisation's recent update confirms that despite some limited improvements, Israel continues to severely restrict essential supplies and services necessary for civilian survival.
The independent international commission of inquiry established by the UN reached similar conclusions in September 2025, finding that 'genocide is occurring in Gaza' and that Israeli authorities had committed four of the five genocidal acts listed in the convention.
International Response and Denials
When contacted by Agence France-Presse about these latest allegations, the Israeli foreign ministry did not immediately respond. However, the ministry has previously described Amnesty as a 'deplorable and fanatical organisation' and vehemently rejected all genocide accusations as 'entirely false' and 'based on lies'.
Israel maintains that it is 'defending itself and acting fully in accordance with international law'. The conflict was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,221 people. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has resulted in at least 69,799 Palestinian deaths, according to figures from Gaza's health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
The International Court of Justice last year ordered Israel to prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide in Gaza, highlighting the seriousness of the ongoing situation despite the current ceasefire arrangement.
