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A former senior war crimes prosecutor has said there is “overwhelming” evidence pointing to genocide in Gaza, drawing parallels with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
Graham Blewitt, a former deputy prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), told Australian broadcaster SBS News that if he were currently working with the International Criminal Court (ICC), he would not hesitate to issue indictments against Israeli leaders for genocide.
Blewitt, who was instrumental in prosecuting crimes committed in the Balkans and in historical Nazi cases in Australia, said the events unfolding in Gaza closely resemble those in Srebrenica, where over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were executed and buried in dozens of mass graves. That atrocity was classified as genocide due to the deliberate intent to partially or wholly eliminate a specific ethnic group.
He argued that a similar legal threshold may be met in the case of Gaza.
“While there may not be direct written orders, the public statements made by various Israeli leaders—suggesting the aim is to erase Palestinians from existence—could be taken as evidence of genocidal intent,” Blewitt said.
He also raised serious concerns about the disproportionate nature of Israel’s military campaign. “They target a building claiming to go after a specific Hamas figure, but appear indifferent to the dozens of civilians—30, 40, sometimes even 100—who are killed or wounded in the process,” he said.
Blewitt emphasised that unlike during the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, modern technology now provides vast digital documentation. “Today, anyone with a smartphone can capture footage. Investigators will have no shortage of evidence from Gaza,” he said.
However, he noted that international investigators still lack physical access to Gaza, which prevents the gathering of on-the-ground forensic evidence or the ability to inspect potential crime scenes.
Blewitt also condemned political interference, especially from powerful nations, in efforts to shield Israeli leaders from accountability. He cited a 2020 executive order by then-U.S. President Donald Trump, which imposed sanctions on ICC staff following arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“That kind of political backlash is outrageous and undermines the credibility of international justice,” Blewitt said. “It sends a dangerous message that powerful leaders can act with impunity.”
Reflecting on the broader state of global justice, Blewitt admitted to a shift in his outlook. “I used to have faith in international mechanisms to hold war criminals accountable. Now, I’m not so confident,” he remarked.
His comments come as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) continues its proceedings in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza—an allegation that has placed Israel’s conduct under growing international legal scrutiny.
