More than 75 retired American generals, admirals and senior national security officials rejected accusations Wednesday that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, arguing that the IDF’s conduct does not meet the legal definition of genocide and pointing to extensive Israeli efforts to reduce civilian casualties, according to an open letter released by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

The signatories include former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove, former U.S. Strategic Command commander Gen. Kevin Chilton and former Marine Corps commandant Gen. James Amos.

The retired military leaders argued that civilian casualties, regardless of their scale, do not by themselves establish the specific intent required under international law to prove genocide.

They pointed to Israeli evacuation warnings, humanitarian corridors, tactical pauses and decisions to cancel strikes because civilians were present as evidence inconsistent with an effort to deliberately destroy Gaza’s civilian population.

Many of the signatories previously commanded American forces fighting terrorist organizations that embedded personnel and weapons among civilians, and they warned that distorted interpretations of the laws of war could eventually undermine America’s own ability to fight enemies using similar tactics.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)