Friends of the Earth's statement on the genocide in Gaza

Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) believes, based on the extensive evidence and analysis of legal experts and human rights organisations, and on the testimony of our sister organisation PENGON (Palestine Friends of the Earth), that since October 2023 the Israeli government/armed forces have committed, and are currently committing, genocide in Gaza.

We also believe that the systematic destruction and contamination of the environment – including of agricultural land, water and sanitation systems – is part of this.

We need to call what's happening, and the reality PENGON (Friends of the Earth Palestine) faces, by its name.

Additionally, it’s our view that the UK government may be complicit in genocide. This is due to its continued export of arms to Israel, despite the acknowledged risk that genocide is taking place.

As an organisation, we condemn human rights violations and war crimes committed by all parties, including the taking of hostages, indiscriminate shelling and the killing of civilians.

Friends of the Earth solidarity

We’re part of Friends of the Earth International – the world’s largest grassroots environmental justice federation, made up of 73 national member organisations. A crucial element of this network is solidarity. It's the bond that holds us together and allows us to respond to climate and ecological crises on the international stage. 

Solidarity means standing together - and taking action – when any member organisation needs support. We focus our solidarity work on countries where we have a presence, and where the need is greatest. There’s no greater need for support and solidarity in our network today than there is for PENGON (Friends of the Earth Palestine). 

Read more about the current situation and our work on Palestine.

Why we believe this is genocide

Genocide is defined under international law as specific acts carried out with intent to destroy a group in part or in whole. These acts include:  

• killing members of the group
• causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
• deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
• imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
• forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

Numerous human rights experts have accused Israel of genocide, providing extensive evidence. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, UN Special Rapporteurs (including the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967) and most recently the UN Special Committee to investigate Israeli practices have joined Palestinian human rights groups in publishing extensive research documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity including genocide and acts of genocide.

Some of this evidence includes detailed documentation of the deliberate and widespread destruction of the environment, as also documented by PENGON (Friends of the Earth Palestine). For example, in June 2024:

• The UN Environment Programme raised concerns about the risk of irreversible damage to Gaza’s natural ecosystems,
• PENGON (Friends of the Earth Palestine) reported that 93% of groundwater wells were inoperable.
• They also reported as much as 50% of Gaza’s agricultural and farmland has been damaged and 50% of its trees destroyed.

In January, March and May 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to undertake specific measures to prevent genocide. To date, Israel has largely failed to meet any of these orders. The ICJ is still considering the accusation of genocide, but a final ruling is likely to take years.

UK complicity and obligations

Under the Genocide Convention, the UK government has a legal obligation to act to prevent genocide. Fulfilling this obligation includes:

• Imposing a full arms embargo on Israel, and  
• using all available diplomatic measures to help bring the genocide to an end.  

Failure to take these actions risks the UK being complicit.

As a network and organisation committed to environmental justice, we recognise that there can be no environmental justice where there is oppression. We’re deeply dismayed by the reports of catastrophic and intentional environmental destruction being carried out by Israel – destruction which PENGON (Friends of the Earth Palestine) is working to document.

We call upon the UK government, in the strongest possible terms, to:

• Take immediate action to end the genocide, and
• address the grave human rights violations, crimes against humanity, and war crimes that are being committed against the Palestinian people.