Genocide accusations in a mirror

Hamas employs the “accusation in a mirror” tactic, accusing Israel of genocide while committing atrocities itself, a strategy also seen in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This tactic, identified in a 1992 Rwandan propaganda memo, involves accusing an enemy of one's own intended actions. The article argues that Israel's actions in Gaza do not meet the legal definition of genocide, which requires "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." Israel's efforts, such as evacuation orders and safe corridors, demonstrate an intent to avoid civilian casualties, not to destroy a population. Furthermore, Hamas is a political and military organization, not a protected group under the genocide convention, and casualty rates in Gaza do not meet the threshold for genocide. Hamas manipulates casualty figures and uses human shields to amplify its false claims, redirecting global outrage from its own actions.