The world's leading genocide scholars' association has passed a resolution saying that the legal criteria have been met to establish Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, its president said on Monday.

Eighty-six percent of those who voted among the 500-member International Association of Genocide Scholars backed the resolution, which declares "Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)".

Since its founding in 1994, the genocide scholars' association has passed nine resolutions recognising historic or ongoing episodes as genocides.

There was no immediate response from the Israeli foreign ministry.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza in October 2023 following an attack on its territory by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. Israeli authorities say the attack left at least 1,200 dead and about 250 were taken as prisoners.

Since then, Israel's military action has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians, damaged or destroyed most buildings in the enclave and forced nearly all its residents to flee their homes at least once.

Moreover, a UN-backed global hunger monitor determined on Friday that Gaza City and its surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine, and it will likely spread.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system said 514,000 people — close to a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza — are experiencing famine, with the number due to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.