Over 75 retired US military leaders, legal experts reject Gaza genocide allegations

More than 75 retired US military leaders and legal experts signed an open letter rejecting allegations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, arguing the claim does not meet the legal definition and distorts the laws of war. The letter, organized by JINSA, highlights IDF precautions like evacuation corridors and legal reviews, warning that lowering the genocide threshold could harm future US operations.

More than 75 retired US military leaders and legal experts signed an open letter on Wednesday, the third anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023 massacre, rejecting allegations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. The letter, organized by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), argues the genocide claim is unsupported by facts and does not meet the legal definition. Signatories, including former senior US military officers, state that civilian casualties, however severe, do not alone establish the specific intent required for genocide. They point to IDF measures such as advance warnings, evacuation corridors, tactical pauses, and legal reviews of targets as evidence of efforts to limit civilian harm, sometimes at the cost of tactical advantage. The letter distinguishes between inflammatory rhetoric by Israeli politicians and the actual conduct of IDF operations. It warns that lowering the genocide threshold could incentivize adversaries to embed among civilians and exploit casualties, potentially affecting future US military operations. JINSA President Michael Makovsky called the genocide accusation "obscene."