Amnesty International has issued a stark warning that Israel is still committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, asserting that a month-old ceasefire has created a deceptive sense of normalcy. The declaration challenges the fragile calm, raising urgent questions about international law and the fate of Palestinians facing what the group calls a "slow death."

The core of the issue, according to Amnesty's Secretary General Agnès Callamard, is that the US-brokered truce which began on October 10 is being used as a "smokescreen." "While Israeli authorities and forces have reduced the scale of their attacks and allowed limited amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the world must not be fooled. Israel's genocide is not over," Callamard emphasized in a statement on Thursday.

A 'Dangerous Illusion' of Peace

Amnesty argues that despite a reduction in bombardment, Israel continues to deliberately inflict conditions calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people. The report highlights the severe restrictions on food, medicine, and shelter, which persist and enhance the population's vulnerability to disease and famine. This follows the rights group's initial conclusion in December 2024 that Israel was committing genocide.

The 1948 UN Genocide Convention defines genocide as specific acts with the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." Amnesty alleges Israel's actions fall under several of these acts, including:

• Killing members of the group.
• Causing serious bodily or mental harm.
• Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction.

Israeli officials have previously and vehemently rejected such allegations, calling them "entirely false" and "based on lies." When its parent organization first made the accusation, Amnesty's own Israel branch stated its analysis did not find that Israel's actions met the legal definition of genocide, though it noted the situation was catastrophic and raised suspicions of "widespread and serious violations of international law."

The View from Nairobi

The escalating war of words in the Middle East has direct consequences for Kenyans. Prolonged instability in the region consistently threatens global supply chains, leading to volatile fuel prices and higher costs for imported goods like wheat and palm oil at the Port of Mombasa. This disruption puts direct pressure on the wallets of ordinary citizens.

Diplomatically, the conflict places Kenya in a delicate position. In July 2025, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi confirmed that Kenya's support for a two-state solution is now enshrined in law, moving beyond simple diplomatic rhetoric. While officially welcoming the October ceasefire as a vital step, Nairobi continues to advocate for a lasting peace based on UN resolutions, balancing its calls for Palestinian statehood with security and technology ties to Israel.

With humanitarian access still severely limited and international legal bodies examining the claims, the world is now watching to see if these grave allegations will spur concrete action or become another chapter in a protracted and devastating conflict.