International Association of Genocide Scholars?

According to the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Israel is most definitely committing genocide in Gaza. They released a statement to the press, and this has been repeated across the InterWebs, so it therefore must be true.

Except, they didn’t list any of the criteria for determining whether or not a country is committing genocide against another, nor did they offer any evidence that their claims were true.

The internationally recognized definition of genocide, as codified in Article II of the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, consists of two main criteria: a specific mental intent and a set of prohibited physical acts. 
Mental element: “Specific intent” (dolus specialis)
The “specific intent” element requires proof that acts were committed with the explicit purpose of destroying a protected group, in whole or in part. This intent must target national, ethnical, racial, or religious groups, aiming to destroy the group as a group. Destroying a “substantial” part of the group is considered sufficient. 
Starting with this one, Israel has no intention now. not ever has had such an intention, to eradicate the palestinian population. The above mentioned International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) failed to prove this very important element of the UN Convention. As a matter of fact, NO ONE has been able to provide evidence that such is the case. I  speculate that the reason they did not bring this up is the very fact that they have no evidence.
Physical element: Prohibited acts
In addition to specific intent, at least one of five prohibited acts must be committed against the targeted group: 
  1. Killing members of the group.

Israel is at war with Hamas, the elected government of Gaza. It’s a war, so by very definition people will be killed.  I have always maintained that warfare is inherently genocidal. But the operative condition here is “intent.” Does Israel intend to wipe the palestinians off the fact of the Earth?  The answer is “no.”

What is interesting to me is that Hamas’ intent, and this is stated in their charter, is to eradicate Israel and all Jews from the Middle East:

Adopted during the First Intifada, the founding charter was explicitly antisemitic and called for the destruction of Israel. Key points include:
  • Destruction of Israel: Calls for the “annihilation” of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state across all of what was formerly Mandatory Palestine.
  • Religious conflict: Explicitly frames the conflict as a religious one, citing antisemitic tropes and a call to kill Jews.

By their own admission, Hamas intends to commit genocide, and they have committed acts that illustrate their resolve. This was especially true on October 7th, 2023, when Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel and brutally murdered 1,200 non-combatants, including women, teens, children, infants and elderly people.

Physical element: Prohibited acts
In addition to specific intent, at least one of five prohibited acts must be committed against the targeted group:

2- Causing serious bodily or mental harm, such as torture or sexual violence.

On October 7th 2023, during their invasion of Israel, Hamas recorded themselves committing gang rapes against women and girls, leaving bodies with broken pelvises. They cut these girls breasts off; they drove nails through their vaginas; they tortured and murdered their victims and made children watch, then murdered the children. Infant bodies were found in microwaves and ovens, burned alive.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have NEVER, in their 80+ year history, committed such atrocities. 

3- Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to cause the group’s physical destruction, which can include deprivation of essential resources.

Israel has allowed thousands and thousands of kilos of food and medical supplies to be delivered into Gaza during the duration of this war. Hamas has, up until recently, hijacked such deliveries, ware housed the aid, and sold it back to Gaza citizens at inflated prices. Recently they have been deterred from hijackings, so they fire on Gaza civilians lined up to receive aid.

Therefore it is Hamas that inflicts conditions of life calculated to cause the group’s physical destruction.

4- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, including forced sterilization or abortion.

This is not happening at all.  In fact, during the current war, 85,000 births have been recorded there. Prior to 10/7/2023, Gaza’s population was estimated at 2.3 Million. Sources state that 64,000 Gazans (including both military and civilians) have been killed during the past 698 days.  This means, that despite the on going war, the population of Gaza has increased to  2,321,000, or 21,000 more than before the war began.  

If Israel is committing genocide, as they are accused, they are failing miserable. In a genocide, the population does not increase.

5- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group, aimed at dismantling the group’s identity. 

No one is doing that, although there have been unsubstantiated reports of Israeli children being kidnapped over the last 80 years.

So, who exactly is this International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)? The Wikipedia reference has only been in existence since February 2018. The article claims that the IAGS was founded in 1994. It is interesting that we’ve only heard of this group since September 4th, 2025. It’s almost as it they were invented “out of the blue” to legitimize the genocide lies. It is interesting also that the only statement they have to offer, without any substantiating evidence, is that Israel “meets all the criteria” for committing genocide, yet, as we have stated at the very beginning of our post, the number one criteria is the nations intent, and no one has proved Israel has such an intent, and, this is important, Israel’s actions have shown that they have bent over backwards to minimize civilian casualties, as they have done in their entire 77 year history.

Here are some other opinions/observations concerning the IAGS: