List of statements by Israeli officials cited as genocidal

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This is a list of public statements from officials in the Israeli government and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that have been the primary sources on which a 2025 United Nations Commission of Inquiry [1] and South Africa's 2023 proceedings to the ICJ [2] established genocidal intent by Israel in the Gaza genocide.

Contents

Statements as evidence of genocidal intent

According to the 2025 UNHRC report (available online), genocidal intent in the Gaza genocide has been established through "statements expressing an intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the protected group." [1] [a]

South Africa's 2025 proceedings (available online) say intent was established due to how "statements by Israeli decision-makers and military officials indicate in and of themselves a clear intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a group." [2] The proceedings further claimed statements by "prominent members of Israeli society" constitute "clear direct and public incitement to genocide, which has gone unchecked and unpunished by the Israeli authorities." [2]

List

All statements in this list are quoted in full, paraphrased, or cited in either the UNHRC report or South Africa's proceedings.

SpeakerPosition at time of statementStatementInterpretation
Amichai Eliyahu Minister of Heritage The north of the Gaza Strip, more beautiful than ever. Everything is blown up and flattened, simply a pleasure for the eyes. [2]
There is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza. [2]
Interviewer:Should we drop a nuclear bomb on all of Gaza?
Eliyahu:That's one way. [2] [3]
Ariel Kallner Member of Knesset (Likud)Right now, one goal: Nakba! A Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of 48. A Nakba in Gaza and a Nakba for anyone who dares to join! [2] [4] [b]
Avi Dichter Minister of Agriculture [We] are now actually rolling out the Gaza Nakba. [2] [b]
Avigdor Lieberman Member of Knesset (Yisrael Beiteinu)There are no innocent people in Gaza. [2] [5]
Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible. And we do remember. [1] [2] [c]
[This is] a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle. [2] [d]
Bezalel Smotrich Minister of Finance [We] need to deal a blow that hasn't been seen in 50 years and take down Gaza. [2] [e]
Boaz Bismuth Member of Knesset (Likud)There is no place for any humanitarian gestures — we must erase the memory of Amalek. [2] [10] [c]
Daniel Hagari Head of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit While balancing accuracy with the scope of damage, right now we're focused on what causes maximum damage. [1] [11] [f]
David Bar Khalifa Commander in the 36th Armored Division of the IDF We shall go out to ... [the enemy] in war, we shall pulverize every accursed plot of land from which it came, we shall destroy it and the memory of it ... and we shall not return until it is annihilated. [1]
Erez EshelSenior Israeli security forces officerIn 100 years they will know that you don't mess with the Jews. It will take so many years to revive from this blow ... this place will be a fallow land. They will not be able to live here. [1] [2]
Eliyahu Revivo Member of Knesset (Likud)I am full of hope and expectation that decision-makers will make it clear to the world about the updated goals of the war: crushing Gaza and all its inhabitants. [2] [12]
Galit Distel-Atbaryan Member of Knesset (Likud)Hate the enemy. Hate the monsters. Any shred of internal bickering is a crazy and terribly stupid waste of energy. Invest that energy in one thing: erasing all of Gaza from the face of the earth. That the Gazan monsters will fly to the southern fence and flee into Egyptian territory. Or they will die ... Gaza needs to be erased. [2] [13]
Ghassan Alian Head of Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Hamas became ISIS and the citizens of Gaza are celebrating instead of being horrified. Human animals are dealt with accordingly. Israel has imposed a total blockade on Gaza — no electricity, no water, just damage. You wanted hell, you will get hell. [2]
Gilad Kinan Lieutenant colonel in the IDF [We are working] together with all the bodies in the IDF when the goal is clear — to destroy everything that has been touched by the hand of Hamas. [2]
Giora Eiland Adviser to the Minister of Defense
Major General in the IDF 		This is what Israel has begun to do — we cut the supply of energy, water and diesel to the Strip ... But it's not enough. In order to make the siege effective, we have to prevent others from giving assistance to Gaza ... The people should be told that they have two choices; to stay and to starve, or to leave. If Egypt and other countries prefer that these people will perish in Gaza, this is their choice. [2]
Israel has no interest in the Gaza Strip being rehabilitated. [2]
[Water in Gaza] comes from wells with salt water unfit for consumption. They have water treatment plants, Israel should hit those plants. When the entire world says we have gone insane and this is a humanitarian disaster — we will say, it’s not an end, it's a means. [2]
The State of Israel has no choice but to make Gaza a place that is temporarily, or permanently, impossible to live in. [2]
[Israel should create] such a huge pressure on Gaza, that Gaza will become an area where people cannot live. People cannot live, until Hamas is destroyed, which means that Israel not only stops to supply energy, diesel, water, food ... as we did in the last twenty years ... but we should prevent any possible assistance by others, and to create in Gaza such a terrible, unbearable situation, that can last weeks and months. [2]
Gaza will become a place where no human being can exist. [2]
If there is an intention for a military action at Shifa [Hospital], which I think is inescapable, I hope that the head of the CIA got an explanation of why this is necessary, and why the US must ultimately back even an operation like this, even if there are thousands of bodies of civilians in the streets afterward. [2]
Who are the 'poor' women of Gaza? They are all the mothers, sisters or wives of Hamas murderers. On the one hand, they are part of the infrastructure that supports the organization ... When senior Israeli figures say in the media 'It's either us or them' we should clarify the question of who is 'them'. 'They' are not only Hamas fighters with weapons, but also all the 'civilian' officials, including hospital administrators and school administrators, and also the entire Gaza population who enthusiastically supported Hamas and cheered on its atrocities on October 7th. [2] [e]
Isaac Herzog President It's an entire nation out there that is responsible. It is not true, this rhetoric about civilians who were not aware and not involved. It is absolutely not true. [1] [2] [e] [g]
Israel Katz Minister of Energy All the civilian population in Gaza is ordered to leave immediately. We will win. They will not receive a drop of water or a single battery until they leave the world. [2]
Itamar Ben-Gvir Minister of National Security [To] be clear, when we say that Hamas should be destroyed, it also means those who celebrate, those who support, and those who hand out candy — they’re all terrorists, and they should also be destroyed. [2]
Keti Shitrit Member of Knesset (Likud)If you ask me on a personal level — I flatten Gaza, I have no other sentiments. Because there is no separation between the murderers of women and children and the citizens of Gaza. [2] [14]
Meirav Ben-Ari Member of Knesset (Yesh Atid)And the children in Gaza – the children in Gaza have brought this upon themselves! [2] [15]
Nissim Vaturi Deputy Speaker of the Knesset (Likud)[Now] we all have one common goal — erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth. Those who are unable will be replaced. [2]
Tally Gotliv Member of Knesset (Likud)May your village burn!! Yes, yes, from my perspective, it's great morale to wish Gaza to be wiped out and set on fire. [2] [16]
It's time to arm the Day of Judgment. Firing powerful missiles without limits. Not leveling a neighborhood. Crushing and flattening Gaza. Otherwise, we would have done nothing. [2] [17]
Enough of pitying the 'uninvolved' Gazans. There are no uninvolved. [2] [18]
Without hunger and thirst among the Gazan population, we will not be able to recruit collaborators, we will not be able to gather intelligence, we will not be able to bribe people, with food, drink, medicine, in order to obtain intelligence ... [2] [19]
There are no uninvolved people in Khan Yunis or Sajaiyah. Everyone there is mortal. This is the working assumption that must be made. To bombard mercilessly from the air! Ground maneuver only after leveling buildings. Any Gazan who does not heed the IDF's request to leave is an abettor of terrorism. And if Biden or any good-natured person has a problem with this job assumption, he is welcome to enter Gaza himself. [2] [20]
Before considering the introduction of forces [in Gaza] ... Doomsday weapon! That's my opinion. [2] [21]
Yair Ben David Commander in the 2908th Battalion of the IDF [The Israeli army] entered Beit Hanoun and did there as Shimon and Levi did in Nablus ... [The] entire Gaza should resemble Beit Hanoun. [2] [h]
Yitzhak Kroizer Member of Knesset (Otzma Yehudit)The Gaza Strip should be flattened, and there should be one sentence for everyone there — death. We have to wipe the Gaza Strip off the map. There are no innocents there. [2] [22]
Yoav Gallant Minister of Defense We are fighting human animals and will act accordingly. [1] [2] [i]
Gaza won’t return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything. If it doesn’t take one day, it will take a week. It will take weeks or even months, we will reach all places. [1] [2]
Gallant stated he removed every restriction on Israeli forces. [2]

See also

Interpretations

  1. ↑ Genocidal intent was also established in the report through examining patterns of behavior in the "totality of evidence." [1]
  2. 1 2 The UNHRC report and South Africa's proceedings argued that invoking the Nakba, an ethnic cleansing in which over 80 percent of the Palestinian population was forced from or fled their homes, demonstrates intent to punish the civilian population for the October 7 attacks. [1] [2]
  3. 1 2 Genocide scholars have described biblical passages about Amalek as genocidal, [6] [7] [8] as God commands Saul to go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. [9] The UNHRC report and South Africa's proceedings both characterized comparisons between Amalek and Palestinians as genocidal. [1] [2]
  4. ↑ South Africa's proceedings argue a distinction between humanity (Israelis) and the law of the jungle (Palestinians) is dehumanizing towards Palestinians, demonstrating genocidal intent.
  5. 1 2 3 South Africa's proceedings argue this rhetoric reflects failure of distinction being made between being made between Hamas combatants and Palestinian civilians.
  6. ↑ The UNHRC report argued this rhetoric aligns with Israel's use of heavy bombardment with explosive weapons with wide-area effect, rather than precision guided (or "smart") weapons, reflecting a failure to distinguish between civilians and combatants. [1]
  7. ↑ The UNHRC report argued that while this statement was not explicitly genocidal, it implied an entire nation is responsible for the attack of 7 October 2023 and therefore may reasonably be interpreted as incitement to the Israeli security forces personnel to target the Palestinians in Gaza as being collectively culpable . The report also found later clarifications by Herzog stating many innocent Palestinians ... don't agree were an attempt to deflect the responsibility for the initial statement. [1]
  8. ↑ Beit Hanoun is a city in northern Gaza that has been "entirely devastated by the Israeli army." The biblical passage in question entails two bible characters indiscriminately killing all males in a city. [2]
  9. ↑ The UNHRC report argued that since the speech was given within the context of a total siege and blockade, the term 'human animals' would reasonably be interpreted as directed at the entire population in Gaza. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (PDF). OHCHR (Conference room paper). A/HRC/60/CRP.3. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (Human Rights Council). 16 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 "Proceedings instituted by South Africa against the State of Israel on 29 December 2023" (PDF). International Court of Justice . 29 December 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Azulay, Moran (5 November 2023). נתניהו "השעה" את השר שלא פסל אטום על עזה - למרות שאין אפשרות כזו בתקנון הממשלה [Netanyahu “suspended” the minister who didn’t rule out a nuclear bomb on Gaza — even though no such option exists in the government’s regulations]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Ariel Kallner [@ArielKallner] (7 October 2023). "Nakba to the enemy now" [Right now, one goal: Nakba! A Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of 48.] (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ אביגדור ליברמן [@AvigdorLiberman] (30 November 2023). "אין חפים מפשע בעזה" [There are no innocents in Gaza.] (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.
  6. ↑ Naimark, Norman M. (2017). Genocide: A World History. Oxford University Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN   978-0-19-976526-3.
  7. ↑ Morriston, Wes (2012). "Ethical Criticism of the Bible: The Case of Divinely Mandated Genocide" (PDF). Sophia. 51 (1): 117–135. doi:10.1007/s11841-011-0261-5. S2CID   159560414.
  8. ↑ Freeman, Michael (1994). "Religion, nationalism and genocide: ancient Judaism revisited" . European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie / Europäisches Archiv für Soziologie. 35 (2): 259–282. doi:10.1017/S000397560000686X. ISSN   0003-9756. JSTOR   23997469. S2CID   170860040.
  9. ↑ 1 Samuel 15:3
  10. ↑ Ngcukaitobi, Tembeka. "Statement: Genocidal intent (extracts cited re: Boaz Bismuth)" (PDF). SAFLII. South Africa legal team at the International Court of Justice. Retrieved 6 October 2025.; see also: Yehuda Shaul [@YehudaShaul] (16 October 2023). "Archived/translated excerpt of Boaz Bismuth's post invoking "Amalek" and rejecting humanitarian gestures" (Tweet). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.; primary: Boaz Bismuth [@BismuthBoaz] (16 October 2023). "Original Hebrew post referencing "no place for any humanitarian gesture" and "the memory of Amalek"" (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.
  11. ↑ McKernan, Bethan; Kierszenbaum, Quique (10 October 2023). "'We're focused on maximum damage': ground offensive into Gaza seems imminent". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  12. ↑ @revivoeliyahu (1 November 2023). "[Hebrew tweet]" [“Crush it… and all its inhabitants.”] (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ Galit Distel Atbaryan [@galitdistel] (1 November 2023). "Tweet" (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ @Now14Israel (1 November 2023). "Interview clip with MK Katrin "Keti" Shitrit-Peretz" [Interview with MK Katrin “Keti” Shitrit-Peretz] (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter. "The killers of the women and children should not be separated from the citizens of Gaza."
  15. ↑ Primary (Knesset livestream) "Knesset Plenary Session – 16 Oct 2023 (livestream)". Facebook Watch (in Hebrew). The Knesset Channel. 16 October 2023. Event occurs at 2:29:57. Retrieved 6 October 2025. "הילדים בעזה הביאו את זה על עצמם." ("The children of Gaza have brought this upon themselves.") Secondary (English write-up/translation) Ofir, Jonathan (18 October 2023). "Israeli Politician Says 'Children of Gaza Have Brought This Upon Themselves'". Truthout. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  16. ↑ @TallyGotliv (29 October 2023). "Tweet" (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ↑ @TallyGotliv (29 October 2023). "Tweet" (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter. Call for Gaza to be "wiped out." (translation){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ↑ @TallyGotliv (7 December 2023). "Tweet" (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter. "There are no uninvolved [civilians]."
  19. ↑ @KnessetT (23 October 2023). "Knesset Channel plenary clip including remarks by MK Revital "Tally" Gotliv" (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter. "Without hunger and thirst among the Gazan population, we will not be able to recruit collaborators." (tr.)
  20. ↑ @TallyGotliv (13 December 2023). "Tweet" (Tweet) (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter. "We must bomb mercilessly from the air." (tr.)
  21. ↑ @TallyGotliv (9 October 2023). "Jericho missile! Jericho missile! A strategic alert, before we consider introducing our forces. A doomsday weapon!" (Tweet). Retrieved 6 October 2025– via Twitter.
  22. ↑ "Fire Israel's Far Right". Haaretz. 6 November 2023. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
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