The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing some of the gravest accusations possible under international law as the destruction of Gaza, civilian deaths, displacement and restrictions on humanitarian assistance continue to define the conflict.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. The court says there are reasonable grounds to believe that he bears criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation as a method of warfare, intentionally directing attacks against civilians, murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Netanyahu remains at large and the allegations have not resulted in a criminal conviction.

Human rights organisations have gone further. Amnesty International maintains that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and says restrictions on food, medicine, electricity, medical evacuation and other essential services have deliberately created conditions threatening the survival of the Palestinian population. Human Rights Watch has also documented what it describes as war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Amnesty’s 2026 reporting describes the destruction of civilian infrastructure, mass displacement and restrictions on humanitarian assistance as continuing violations of fundamental rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water, housing and education. The organisation has also called for the destruction of residential high-rise buildings in Gaza to be investigated as possible war crimes involving wanton destruction and collective punishment.

The role of the United States has become inseparable from the debate. UN human rights experts have raised concerns about US arms transfers to Israel, warning that weapons supplied with US government support could contribute to attacks involving serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. They have also raised questions about whether American companies and government institutions have carried out sufficient human-rights due diligence before continuing weapons transfers.

Under President Donald Trump, Washington has continued to provide strong political backing for Israel. Human Rights Watch has also criticised the Trump-chaired Board of Peace for efforts to exclude UNRWA from Gaza, despite an International Court of Justice advisory opinion stating that Israel is required to enable humanitarian relief operations.

The result is a growing international argument that the crisis in Gaza cannot be treated simply as another military conflict. For many human rights organisations and international experts, it has become a test of whether international law applies equally to powerful governments and their allies.

Israel rejects accusations of genocide and has consistently said its military operations are directed against Hamas and conducted in self-defence following the 7 October 2023 attacks. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have themselves been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, hostage-taking and mistreatment of captives.

But those crimes do not remove Israel’s independent obligations toward civilians. International humanitarian law requires all parties to distinguish between civilians and combatants and does not permit collective punishment, starvation of civilians or indiscriminate attacks.

The increasing body of international findings leaves Netanyahu’s government facing profound questions over responsibility for the devastation of Gaza — while the United States faces its own questions about continuing to provide political and military support as allegations of grave violations mount.