What is Genocide ?
10 FAQ

1. What does the term “genocide” mean?

Genocide refers to acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

2. Who created the concept of genocide and why?

The word was coined in 1944 by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer, to describe crimes like the Holocaust and ensure the world could identify and prosecute such atrocities.

3. How does genocide differ from other war crimes or crimes against humanity?

War crimes can target anyone during conflict, but genocide specifically targets a group’s identity with the aim of erasing it.

4. Why is proving “intent” central to calling something genocide?

Because without clear intent to destroy a group, atrocities may be labeled as crimes against humanity but not genocide.

5. What actions are legally considered genocidal?

They include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, imposing destructive living conditions, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children.

6. Why is it politically difficult to use the word “genocide”?

Because once genocide is named, international law obliges states to act. Political interests, alliances, and fear of accountability make many governments avoid the term.

7. What past genocides has the world officially recognized?

The Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide (1994), and the Srebrenica massacre (1995) are among those recognized by the United Nations and international courts.

8.Why apply the word “genocide” to Gaza today?

Because tens of thousands of Palestinians—half of them women and children—have been killed, millions displaced, and famine deliberately imposed, meeting the very criteria of the UN Genocide Convention.

9.Is there evidence of genocidal intent?

Yes. Statements from Israeli leaders calling for the erasure of Gaza, alongside deliberate attacks on civilians, hospitals, and infrastructure, indicate intent to eliminate Palestinians as a people.

10. Who recognizes what is happening in Gaza as genocide?

The International Association of Genocide Scholars (2025) and Amnesty International (2024) have explicitly used the term. In addition, Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, South Africa’s government in its case at the International Court of Justice, several UN Special Rapporteurs, and countries like Bolivia, Brazil, and Ireland have described or denounced the situation as genocide.