International Legal Analysis of Human Rights Violations and Alleged Genocide in Palestine: A Normative Juridical Approach

Aidatul Fitriyah
Fadhil, Ahmad Dailami

Sinergi International Journal of Law
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2025): February 2025

This study examines alleged human rights violations in Palestine that may amount to genocide, using a normative juridical approach grounded in international law. It assesses whether Israel's actions meet the elements of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention and evaluates the effectiveness of international legal mechanisms in addressing such crimes. The research employs a normative juridical method integrating statutory, case-based, and conceptual approaches. It systematically analyzes international legal instruments, decisions of international courts, and relevant legal theories concerning genocide and human rights. The findings reveal that Israel's conduct—including targeted attacks on civilians, the destruction of vital infrastructure, the imposition of prolonged economic blockades, and the expansion of illegal settlements—exhibits strong indicators of war crimes and potentially fulfills the elements of genocide under international law. While the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) possess jurisdiction to address such violations, enforcing international legal norms encounters significant barriers. These include the influence of global political power, veto rights in the United Nations Security Council, and systemic biases that shield certain state actors from accountability. This study concludes that although a robust legal framework exists to respond to human rights violations in Palestine, the implementation of international law remains limited due to entrenched geopolitical interests. To address these shortcomings, the international community must pursue structural reforms in the global legal order and foster collective efforts to protect human rights and ensure accountability. By offering a critical legal analysis, this study contributes to the academic discourse on international human rights and humanitarian law and supports more effective advocacy strategies to combat impunity and uphold justice in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.