An Amnesty International report says that Israel's actions in Gaza meet the definition of genocide. Photo: AFP
An extensive Amnesty International investigation has concluded Israel is guilty of a mass and ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza strip, and local representatives say New Zealand should do more.
Amnesty International is calling on the New Zealand government to ban imports from and investment in some Israeli companies.
The human rights watchdog also wants Aotearoa to do more to accept and support Palestinian refugees.
"Our recent report has found that Israel has committed and is committing genocide in Gaza," Lisa Woods from Amnesty International Aotearoa told Checkpoint.
"Genocide is defined as certain acts which are committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
"That is the definition of genocide is that they are intentionally trying to destroy a group of people."
Israel guilty of ongoing genocide - Amnesty International
Amnesty International worked to establish the intent behind Israel's acts in Gaza and claims they meet the definition of genocide.
The group analysed a series of air strikes between 7 October 2023 and 20 April 2024, which hit civilian homes in densely populated urban areas.
"No evidence was found that any of these strikes were directed at a military objective. The report found that the way these attacks were conducted is that they were conducted in ways that were designed to cause a very high number of fatalities and injuries among the civilian population."
Israel has denied allegations of genocide and says it is targeting terrorist groups responsible for the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel that killed at least 1200 people.
In a statement to The Times Of Israel, Israel's Foreign Ministry dismissed Amnesty's report, saying that "The deplorable and fanatical organisation Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: AFP / GIL COHEN-MAGEN
Last month, the United Nations' International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"Accountability is incredibly important, and so we support the efforts of the International Criminal Court and we want to see the perpetrators held to account," Woods said.
The New Zealand government has called for a cease-fire and end to the violence in Gaza by both Israel and Hamas.
Amnesty International is also calling on the government to ban imports and investment in some Israeli companies in the occupied territories of Gaza.
"What we're calling on is for the government to ban imports from illegal settlements and this is an important way to try and apply pressure."
Woods said the government should look at how it is investing in the region as well.
"The government has taken similar action before so for example in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where a sanctions regime was developed, with restrictions on exports and imports."
Ministers in the government have shied away from calling the actions in Israel a genocide, saying that is for the courts to decide.
"We actually need states around the world now to recognise what is happening," Woods said.