The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association has approved a resolution establishing that Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide as found in the Genocide Convention, constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity. Melanie O’Brien is president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars.

Melanie O’Brien: “This resolution declaring what is happening in Gaza as genocide passed by an overwhelming majority, far beyond the two-thirds majority required.”

This comes after hundreds of staffers at the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights signed a letter urging the U.N. agency to declare Israel’s assault on Gaza a genocide and calling on U.N. member states to suspend arms sales to Israel.