The Misleading Charge of Genocide Against Israel in Gaza

Strategic Insights -

The United Nations General Assembly has sparked controversy by dubbing Israel's war against Hamas as a genocide, but numbers from Gaza's population data paint a different picture. According to the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Gaza's population has doubled over the last 25 years, contradicting the UN's claims. The comparison to previous genocides, such as the Holocaust and Rwandan Genocide, highlights the inaccuracy of the UN's charge.

Key Takeaways:

  • Gaza's population has doubled over the last 25 years, according to both the PCBS and CIA estimates.
  • The decrease in population since the October 7 attacks, as reported by the PCBS, is 3.6%, while the CIA estimates an increase of 7% during the same period.
  • The UN's charge of genocide against Israel does not remotely meet the standard set by the Genocide Convention, which requires an intent to destroy a population.
  • The comparison to the Holocaust, in which 60% of Europe's Jews were killed or forced out, and the Rwandan Genocide, where an estimated three-quarters of the Tutsi ethnic group were murdered over 100 days, highlights the inaccuracy of the UN's claim.
  • The population changes in these previous genocides were rapid and dramatic, whereas Gaza's population growth is steady and consistent.

Statistics:

  • According to the PCBS, Gaza's population was 2.19 million at the end of 2022.
  • By May 2025, PCBS reported a decrease of about 80,000 people or 3.6% of the pre-war population.
  • The CIA estimates an increase of about 145,000 people or 7% of the pre-war total between 2022 and mid-2024.

References:

  • No Labels: "Comparing Gaza's population data to the Holocaust, Rwanda, and Jewish expulsions reveals how misleading the UN's charge really is" [Source: No Labels]
  • United Nations General Assembly: "Statement by the United Nations General Assembly" [Source: United Nations General Assembly]
  • Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS): "Population estimates for Gaza" [Source: PCBS]
  • United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): "World Factbook: Gaza" [Source: CIA]