Questioned about how the US determined the genocide allegations to be “unfounded”, Patel said: “I’m not a lawyer, so can’t speak to the definition and how that feeds into this.”
Hamas has described an Amnesty International report which concluded that Israel is carrying out genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as evidence implicating the US and other Western states in Tel Aviv’s actions.
In a statement on Thursday, the Palestinian Resistance movement said that Amnesty International’s report, ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza’, serves as a fresh appeal to the international community and the UN to act to stop this genocide, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported.
Amnesty International has concluded in a new report that it has found “sufficient basis” to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.https://t.co/V77R1PrskW pic.twitter.com/wHfwAFEeT2
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 5, 2024
Hamas pointed out that the report’s reference to “the involvement of the United States and other countries in the ongoing genocide in Gaza” further confirms their active participation in these actions and provides additional grounds for condemnation.
It called for an immediate review of US and other countries’ policies that favor “Zionist war criminals,” accusing them of flagrantly violating international laws and humanitarian principles.
‘We Disagree’ – US
At the same time, the US rejected Amnesty’s report saying allegations of genocide in Gaza were “unfounded.”
“As you’ve heard us say previously, we disagree with the conclusions of such a report. We have said previously and continue to find that the allegations of genocide are unfounded,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press briefing on Thursday.
Patel acknowledged the “vital role” of NGOs and human rights organizations like Amnesty International but characterized their findings on genocide in Gaza as “an opinion”.
Patel: Allegations of [🇮🇱] genocide are unfounded@tombateman: When you’ve been asked about violations of international law, you’ve said it’s reasonable to assess but you can’t make a final conclusion because of lack of information, yet you can conclude allegations of genocide… pic.twitter.com/bY1zcOcP1j
— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) December 5, 2024
“What I can say as a spokesperson of the U.S. Government and as a spokesperson of this administration is that the findings of – the accusations of genocide, we continue to believe those to be unfounded,” Patel added.
He said it “does not change” the emphasis that the US is “placing on ensuring” that there is appropriate access to humanitarian assistance,” measures to protect civilians and bringing an end to the war.
Pressed further, the spokesperson insisted that the “U.S. conclusion that these allegations of genocide are unfounded.”
Questioned about how the US determined the genocide allegations to be “unfounded”, Patel said: “I’m not a lawyer, so can’t speak to the definition and how that feeds into this.”
‘Formal Process’
London-based Amnesty International said on Thursday that it found “sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
It said it examined Israel’s acts in Gaza “closely and in their totality, taking into account their recurrence and simultaneous occurrence, and both their immediate impact and their cumulative and mutually reinforcing consequences.”
‘This is Genocide’ – Amnesty Says There is ‘Sufficient Evidence’ to Accuse Israel
Asked if the US conducted a formal process to determine if Israel is committing genocide, Patel said, “There’s no formal conclusion of the process […] There continue to be a number of deliberative processes as it relates to the situations on the ground, tools that we’ve spent a lot of time speaking about up here, things like CHIRG (Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance), things like conventional arms transfer policy, things like the Leahy process. I wouldn’t speak to those processes in detail,” he said.
The Leahy process is a system the US uses to ensure that foreign state forces do not grossly violate human rights before they receive US help.
ICJ Rulings Defied
“Our research reveals that, for months, Israel has persisted in committing genocidal acts, fully aware of the irreparable harm it was inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International on Thursday.
“It continued to do so in defiance of countless warnings about the catastrophic humanitarian situation and of legally binding decisions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Israel to take immediate measures to enable the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza,” she said.
‘Harrowing Incidents’ – EuroMed Documents Deliberate Killings in Northern Gaza
Amnesty’s 296-page report examined in detail Israel’s violations in Gaza over nine months between October 7, 2023, and early July 2024. A total of 21 people were interviewed, including Palestinian victims and witnesses, local authorities in Gaza, and healthcare workers, conducted fieldwork and analyzed an extensive range of visual and digital evidence, including satellite imagery.
The report also analyzed statements by senior Israeli government and military officials as well as official Israeli bodies.
On multiple occasions, the organization shared its findings with the Israeli authorities but had received no substantive response at the time of publication, said Amnesty.
(PC, Anadolu, MEMO)
