A Report by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights on the Israeli Occupation’s Perpetuation of Genocide Targeting the Palestinian Existence the Gaza Strip
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) today, Thursday, 28 August 2025, issues a new report entitled “Voices from the Genocide.” The report sheds light on the grave violations committed against civilians in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, which collectively constitute acts amounting to a genocide under international law.
The report does not present these crimes as isolated incidents; rather, it situates them within a broader historical and political context, as a continuation of a colonial settler system pursued by the Israeli occupation in Palestine for more than 75 years. This system has systematically denied the Palestinian people their inalienable rights, foremost among them the right to self-determination, as part of an ongoing policy aimed at uprooting them from their land and erasing their existence.
Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, described the genocidal crimes against Palestinians in Gaza, stating:
“From the very first moment of the aggression against the Gaza Strip, it was clear to us, as human rights defenders and eyewitnesses, that we were witnessing genocide.
The nature of the attacks—including aerial bombardments on residential neighborhoods and vital civilian infrastructure, widespread killing and destruction, forced displacement, and the deliberate starvation of civilians—combined with the initial statements of political and military leaders of the Israeli occupation, constitutes a campaign of genocide targeting the entire Gaza Strip.
The fundamental principle of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is immediate intervention to prevent such acts before they occur. It is a disgrace to the so-called civilized world to stand powerless, complicit, or supportive of the Israeli occupation as it continues to perpetrate this crime over more than 21 months.”
The report relies on a broad base of primary information, derived from direct testimonies of 1,225 victims and survivors, alongside data from reliable open sources, including reports issued by local and international bodies, and content published on media and social media platforms.
The documentation process faced severe challenges due to the near-total collapse of infrastructure, repeated disruptions in communication networks, and extreme security conditions that restricted access to victims and affected areas. The widespread and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment of civilian areas has claimed the lives of three PCHR employees along with members of their families.
The report also documents key official statements and political and military decisions by Israeli authorities, reflecting a clear intent to commit genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The legal analysis in this report is grounded in the provisions of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, with particular focus on the interpretation of Article 2, paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d).
This analysis was conducted by a specialized team of Palestinian and international legal experts with extensive experience in documenting and qualifying international crimes. They conducted a meticulous examination of Israeli occupation practices in Gaza to determine whether these acts meet the threshold of genocide and whether they were intentionally committed.
The report concludes that Israel’s conduct, through its official agencies and through individuals and entities operating under its supervision, direction, or effective control, constitutes genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza. Over a fifteen-month period, Israeli authorities committed acts prohibited under Article 2 (a), (b), (c), and (d) of the 1948 Genocide Convention, including: intentional killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting living conditions intended to bring about the total or partial physical destruction of the group, and imposing measures aimed at preventing births within the group.
These acts were carried out with a specific intent to destroy the Palestinian population as a protected group under international law.
Through this report, PCHR calls for urgent international action, including referring these documented crimes to the competent international judicial bodies, in affirmation of the principle of accountability and to protect Palestinian civilians from ongoing targeting.
Through this approach, PCHR seeks to strengthen mechanisms for international legal accountability, raise global awareness of the severity of the violations, and demand an immediate end to the continuing crimes against the people of Gaza, which demonstrate a clear intent to commit genocide based on national identity.
