Under the patronage of Her Excellency Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), the Center hosted a panel discussion at its headquarters in Doha entitled “Documenting the Genocide in Gaza: From Survivors' Testimonies to the International Court," on Tuesday, 16 September 2025.
The panel brought prominent legal experts in law and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), including the director, Dr. Tayeb Ali, and Senior Legal Officer Ms. Dania Abul Haj. Dr. Ghassan Elkahlout, Director of CHS, moderated the session.
Ms. Aisha Al Mohannadi, Representative of International Cooperation at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opened the session with a speech in which she emphasized that the crimes committed in Gaza, including genocide, forced displacement, and the use of starvation as a weapon, require urgent action by international organizations and the activation of legal mechanisms to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and that the Palestinian people are empowered to exercise their legitimate rights.
This session is held in connection with the recent events in Doha and the subsequent Qatari efforts at the regional and international levels. The country participated in the Arab-Islamic Summit held yesterday, affirming its unity of position and shared destiny. Today, Her Excellency Dr. Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of State for International Cooperation, headed the State of Qatar's delegation to the emergency session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva to discuss the attack targeting Qatar.
As part of a joint CHS–ICJP initiative to document war crimes in Gaza, the discussion presented the findings of an extensive effort to collect and preserve evidence in accordance with international legal standards. The documentation included 80 verified testimonies from survivors evacuated to Qatar—exposing the absence of safe zones across the Gaza Strip due to systematic and indiscriminatory bombardment by Israeli forces. Testimonies described the bombing of designated evacuation areas and so-called safe corridors, as well as strikes on transport routes that compelled civilians to flee on foot. They further detailed the widespread destruction of infrastructure, most notably hospitals and health facilities, acute shortages of medicine and food, the arbitrary targeting and detention of medical personnel, and the treatment of the wounded in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. They also underscored genocidal policies of collective starvation and the weaponization of humanitarian aid, including deliberate attacks on civilians at aid distribution points, resulting in serious injuries.
The panel also addressed international legal avenues for accountability, including the ongoing case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Genocide Convention and the investigations of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Speakers highlighted complementary mechanisms such as domestic prosecutions under international statutes, notably the United Kingdom's International Criminal Court Act (2001) and the Geneva Conventions Act (1957), as well as the filing of criminal complaints for war crimes and crimes against humanity in domestic courts.
The event drew a diverse audience of IHL specialists, legal practitioners, academics, and experts. A lively Q&A session followed, focusing on the methodological rigor required for real-time documentation of genocidal violence, the precise legal framing of testimonies during testimony collection, available judicial pathways for prosecuting perpetrators, and prospects for expanding documentation to encompass education and other civilian sectors.