Does the destruction of homes in Gaza constitute genocide?
Does the destruction of homes in Gaza constitute genocide?
March 25 2024
The intentional destruction of homes — by a government or private entity, during war or peacetime, on an individual or communal basis — is referred to as “domicide” by scholars and by Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing.
Domicide can constitute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It has been used in armed conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar and now in Gaza, where Israel has destroyed more than 60 per cent of homes. The bombings of Gazan homes have also killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
In the wake of Russia’s demolition of homes in Ukraine in 2022, Rajagopal argued that domicide goes beyond collateral damage and deserves stand-alone prohibition and punishment in international law.
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