Wikipedia has finally added the article “Gaza genocide” to the List of Genocides marking a new step in the challenging process of awareness raising for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This decision came after several heated discussions among Wikipedia editors regarding the appropriateness of including this term, as reported by the Jewish Journal.
Addition
The term “Gaza genocide” emerged amid Israel’s escalating violence in Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, which began after a Palestinian-based resistance group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.
Israel retaliated violently and launched a full-scale military operation in Gaza, resulting in extensive devastation and a massive loss of Palestinian lives. Estimates from the ground suggest that more than 40,000 thousand Palestinian civilians were killed by bombardments with the majority of them being women and children.
Several human rights organizations and experts have accused Israel of committing “war crime” and described their actions as genocide due to the scale and nature of the violence, including collective punishment and ethnic cleansing
Controversy surrounding the classification
The classification of the situation as genocide has sparked intense debate. Proponents argue that a systematic targeting of Palestinian civilians and their infrastructures is proof of genocidal intent to eliminate the Palestinian population and is recognized as one of the legal criteria for genocide under international law. On the same note, critics have discouraged the passing of judgment on the Israeli aggression in war-torn Gaza stating that such actions should undergo strict legal analysis and assessment.
Implications of the Wikipedia entry
The inclusion of “Gaza genocide” on Wikipedia’s list is not merely an editorial call, but rather a manifestation of the society and political reality for holding perpetrators accountable in conflict-related crises. This addition may influence public perception and decisions about international humanitarian law, potentially impacting diplomacy, and humanitarian organization’s efforts in the region.
Calls for investigation
As the situation remains uncertain and fragile, there is pressure from human rights organisations and other countries who have demanded investigations into alleged war crimes and human rights violations.
Earlier, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory stated that there is already clear evidence of war crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including those being investigated by the International Criminal Court’s authorities.
The UN Human Rights Council’s independent commission found that of the 489 cases of violence committed by Israeli security forces, only two were possibly justified as responses to danger.
In contempt of the international community, Israel continues its massacres in Gaza, ignoring the UN Security Council resolution to stop them immediately, and the International Court of Justice’s orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide.
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