Former IDF Soldier Omer Bartov on Genocide in Gaza and Israel's Actions

Defining Genocide

• 💡 Genocide is defined by the UN convention as acts committed with the intent to destroy a particular group, in whole or in part, not simply killing large numbers of people.
• 🎯 The determination of genocide requires showing that the acts are committed with the specific intent to destroy the group as such.

Allegations Against Israel's Actions in Gaza

• ⚠️ Statements made by Israeli politicians and generals immediately after October 7th had genocidal content.
• 🎯 By Spring/May 2024, the IDF's actions in Gaza were not aligned with declared war goals of releasing hostages and destroying Hamas.
• 🏗️ Instead, the IDF was systematically destroying Gaza to make it uninhabitable, displacing people under the guise of moving them to safe zones that were never safe.
• 📚 The destruction targeted schools, universities, mosques, hospitals, and anything enabling a group's identity, education, and collective memory, aiming to erase its existence.

Intent and Strategy

• 🗺️ The strategic and political intent appears to be to clear the land by rendering it uninhabitable for the Palestinian population, potentially for future Jewish settlements.
• 🏢 The IDF's current military term