Two human rights groups in Israel accuse their country of genocide in Gaza
The Palestinians, their supporters and international human rights groups make that claim, and the International Court of Justice is hearing a genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel.
But in Israel, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, even the government's strongest critics have largely refrained from making such accusations.
That is because of the deep sensitivities and strong memories of the Nazi genocide of Europe's Jews, and because many in Israel view the war in Gaza as a justified response to the deadliest attack in the country's history and not an attempt at extermination.
The rights groups, while prominent and respected internationally, are considered in Israel to be on the political fringe, and their views are not representative of the vast majority of Israelis.
But having the allegation of genocide come from Israeli voices shatters a taboo in a society that has been reticent to criticise Israel's conduct in Gaza.
Guy Shalev, director of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, said the Jewish-Israeli public often dismisses accusations of genocide as antisemitic or biased against Israel.
'Perhaps human rights groups based in Israel ... coming to this conclusion is a way to confront that accusation and get people to acknowledge the reality,' he said.
Israel asserts that it is fighting an existential war and abides by international law. It has rejected genocide allegations as antisemitic.
It is challenging such allegations at the International Court of Justice, and it has rejected the International Criminal Court's allegations that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant committed war crimes in Gaza. Both face international arrest warrants.
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