More Than 75 Retired U.S. Military Leaders and Legal Experts Reject Gaza Genocide Claims

More than 75 retired American military commanders and legal experts published an open letter yesterday (Wednesday), rejecting claims that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The letter, released on the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, was organized by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).

Among the signatories are former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove; former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos; former Strategic Command chief Gen. Kevin Chilton; former Fifth Fleet commander Adm. John Miller; and former deputy commander of CENTCOM Adm. Mark Fox. They were joined by urban warfare expert John Spencer and former military legal adviser Mark Warren.

The signatories emphasize that under the 1948 Genocide Convention, a conviction for the crime requires proof of specific intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. They argue that the number of civilian casualties, however grave, does not in itself prove such intent.

To support their position, the officials cite the IDF’s early warnings and evacuation instructions, protected corridors, pauses for the delivery of humanitarian aid, legal reviews of targets, and the cancellation of strikes because civilians were present. They also criticize reliance on Hamas data, which they say does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The letter comes amid South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which Ireland has joined in proceedings concerning the interpretation of the definition of genocide. The court has not yet ruled on the merits of the claims.