Two of Israel’s most respected human-rights organisations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, said on Monday that Israel’s 21-month military campaign in the Gaza Strip meets the legal definition of genocide. In reports unveiled at a joint press conference in Jerusalem, the groups argued that Israeli forces have carried out a “coordinated action to intentionally destroy Palestinian society,” citing sustained bombardment, mass displacement and the systematic demolition of civilian infrastructure. B’Tselem’s 120-page study chronicles statements by senior Israeli officials and battlefield practices it says demonstrate intent to destroy Palestinians “as a group.” PHRI documents what it calls the deliberate collapse of Gaza’s health-care system, noting that hospitals, medical personnel and supply routes have been repeatedly targeted. “Nothing prepares you for realising you are part of a society committing genocide,” B’Tselem executive director Yuli Novak said, while PHRI director Guy Shalev argued that the destruction of health services alone satisfies Article 2(c) of the UN Genocide Convention. The Gaza Health Ministry puts the death toll at 59,921 people, most of them civilians, with all 2.1 million residents displaced at least once since fighting began on 7 October 2023. UN agencies warn that large parts of the enclave face acute hunger and the risk of famine. Israel rejected the accusation. Prime-ministerial spokesman David Mencer said the Israel Defense Forces “target terrorists and never civilians,” and blamed Hamas for operating among the population. The militant group’s 7 October attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and triggered the current offensive. The unprecedented charge from Israeli NGOs is expected to add weight to South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and to the International Criminal Court’s pending arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Both rights groups urged foreign governments to use “every tool available” to halt the war and ensure accountability.