Experts, governments, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organisations have accused Israel of carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian people during its invasion and bombing of the Gaza Strip in the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. Various observers, including Francesca Albanese (the United Nations Special Rapporteur), have cited statements by senior Israeli officials that may indicate an "intent to destroy" (in whole or in part) Gaza's population, a necessary condition for the legal threshold of genocide to be met. A majority of mostly US-based Middle East scholars believe Israel's actions in Gaza were intended to make it uninhabitable for Palestinians, and 75% of them say Israel's actions in Gaza constitute either genocide or "major war crimes akin to genocide".
In June 2024, the UN Human Rights Office condemned the reported killing of 500 health workers. As of August 2024, only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were partially functional; 84% of health centers in the region have been destroyed or suffered damage. An enforced Israeli blockade heavily contributed...