21 House Democrats Urge Congress to Recognize Israel’s Actions in Gaza as Genocide

House Democrats Introduce Resolution Citing Genocide Convention

On Friday, Representative Rashida Tlaib joined twenty other House Democrats in introducing a resolution urging Congress to formally recognize "the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza." The measure relies on the definition found in the 1948 Genocide Convention and cites evidence presented at the U.N. and other sources that the drafters say meet that legal threshold.

Definition and Allegations

"Under the Genocide Convention, the crime of genocide is committed when one or more categories of underlying acts are committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group as such, namely—(1) killing members of the group; (2) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (3) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (4) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; or (5) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

The resolution asserts that the available evidence indicates the State of Israel has committed acts "within the scope of the Genocide Convention against Palestinians in Gaza," including the categories listed above.

Casualties, Damage and U.S. Aid

According to the resolution’s text, Israel has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, the majority of whom are women and children, and states that 83% of the dead were civilians. It also cites the deaths of at least 250 journalists and at least 543 aid workers affiliated with organizations such as the U.N., Doctors Without Borders, World Central Kitchen, and the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

The resolution reports at least 169,679 Palestinians wounded in Gaza and describes a severe humanitarian toll, including what it calls "the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history." It also lists infrastructure devastation: around 500 schools, every university in Gaza, 53 cultural sites, and 92% of residential buildings damaged or destroyed.

The signatories highlight the role of U.S. support, noting the United States provided an estimated $21.7 billion in military aid to Israel and that the White House authorized or notified over $30 billion in additional arms sales agreements during the same period.

Rhetoric by Israeli Officials

The resolution quotes statements by senior Israeli officials that the drafters characterize as endorsing or normalizing extreme measures. It cites remarks attributed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoking the biblical enemy Amalek and to Major General Aharon Haliva referencing the Nakba — language the resolution interprets as dehumanizing and indicative of intent.

"Remember what Amalek did to you. We remember and we fight."

"It does not matter if they are children. I’m not speaking out of revenge. I’m talking about a message for future generations. From time to time, they need a Nakba to feel the cost."

Political Outlook

The drafters argue that public opinion in the U.S. has shifted and that congressional debate on the conduct of the war has intensified. Nevertheless, the resolution faces long odds in the GOP-controlled House, and sponsors acknowledge it is unlikely to pass.

Signatories

The 21 House Democrats who signed the resolution are:

• Rashida Tlaib — Michigan
• André Carson — Indiana
• Becca Balint — Vermont
• Gregorio Casar — Texas
• Maxwell Frost — Florida
• Maxine Dexter — Oregon
• Chuy Garcia — Illinois
• Al Green — Texas
• Pramila Jayapal — Washington
• Hank Johnson — Georgia
• Ro Khanna — California
• Summer Lee — Pennsylvania
• Jim McGovern — Massachusetts
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — New York
• Ilhan Omar — Minnesota
• Ayana Pressley — Massachusetts
• Mark Pocan — Wisconsin
• Delia Ramirez — Illinois
• Lateefah Simon — California
• Nydia Velázquez — New York
• Bonnie Watson Coleman — New Jersey

Note: This article summarizes the claims and text of the resolution as introduced by its sponsors. The figures and characterizations above reflect the resolution’s assertions and cited sources; they have not been independently verified in this report.