Amnesty accuses Israel of ‘live-streamed genocide’ against Palestinians in Gaza
A picture shows a view from an apartment in a residential building that was hit in Israeli strikes in Gaza City's Yarmuk street on April 24, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing a “live-streamed genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza, citing forced displacement, humanitarian catastrophe, and deliberate actions aimed at destroying the Palestinian population.
Amnesty’s annual report criticizes Israeli actions in Gaza
In its annual report, Amnesty International charged that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza with “specific intent to destroy” the population.
The organization described the ongoing conflict as a “live-streamed genocide,” with the world watching as Israel engaged in large-scale military operations that resulted in extensive loss of life and infrastructure.
On #PalestinianPrisonersDay, 9,500+ Palestinians are in Israeli jails, over half (5,200+) without charge/trial under administrative detention or the Unlawful Combatants’ Law. This arbitrary detention is key to maintaining Israel's apartheid.
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) April 17, 2025
“Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas perpetrated horrific crimes against Israeli citizens and captured more than 250 hostages, the world has been made an audience to a live-streamed genocide,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General, in the introduction to the report.
Amnesty condemned the actions of the Israeli government, accusing it of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, which has left Gaza’s population displaced, homeless, and without basic needs such as food, water, and medical care.
Humanitarian crisis and civilian casualties
Amnesty’s report highlighted the extreme levels of suffering faced by Gaza’s population. According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, recent Israeli airstrikes on displaced persons’ tents near Al-Iqleem in Southern Gaza killed four people and injured others.
Fuel shortages have also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, forcing civil defense units to suspend operations in parts of southern Gaza.
Amnesty stated that 1.9 million Palestinians—around 90% of Gaza’s population—have been forcibly displaced by Israel’s military campaign.
The report also noted that Israel’s military actions have left Palestinians without access to necessities, including food, water, and power. The organization claimed that Israel had created an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.
Global inaction and Amnesty’s criticism of international response
Amnesty further criticized the international community for failing to take meaningful action to stop the violence, despite widespread protests in Western capitals calling for a ceasefire.
The report argued that the failure of states to act decisively has allowed Israel to continue its actions without significant consequence.
“The world’s governments individually and multilaterally failed repeatedly to take meaningful action to end the atrocities and were slow even in calling for a ceasefire,” the report said.
Allegations of apartheid in the West Bank
In addition to its findings on Gaza, Amnesty also raised alarms about Israel’s actions in the West Bank.
The organization reiterated accusations that Israel was operating an apartheid system, which had become increasingly violent in the occupied territory. Amnesty reported a rise in unlawful killings and attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians.
“The system of apartheid in the occupied West Bank has become increasingly violent, marked by a sharp increase in unlawful killings and state-backed attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians,” the report stated.
Call for global action to address human rights violations
Heba Morayef, Amnesty’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, denounced the “extreme levels of suffering” that Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to endure over the past year, emphasizing the international community’s inability to end the violence.
“Year after year, we have warned of the dangers of human rights backsliding. But events of the past 12 months—most notably Israel’s livestreamed but unheeded genocide of Palestinians in Gaza—have laid bare just how hellish the world can be for so many when the most powerful states jettison international law and disregard multilateral institutions,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
