Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom

Outline

Gaza: An Inquest into Its Martyrdom (2018) examines the political, military, legal, and humanitarian record of Israel’s major military operations in the Gaza Strip, particularly those conducted between 2008 and 2014. Norman Finkelstein analyses official investigations, human rights reports, legal arguments, and media coverage, arguing that Gaza’s civilian population has endured systematic destruction and collective punishment. The book also critically evaluates the responses of international institutions and prominent human rights organisations, questioning whether they adequately documented abuses or helped secure accountability.

• The book reviews the political, military, legal and humanitarian record of Israel's major military operations in Gaza, especially those between 2008 and 2014.
• Finkelstein examines official investigations, human rights reports, legal arguments and media coverage rather than relying on a single source.
• He argues that Gaza's civilian population has endured systematic destruction and collective punishment.
• The book questions how international institutions and prominent human rights organisations responded to the abuses.
• It asks whether those bodies documented the abuses adequately or helped secure accountability.

Norman Finkelstein is an American political scientist, author, and activist whose research focuses on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the politics surrounding the memory of the Holocaust. He earned his doctorate in political science from Princeton University and has taught at several American universities. Born to Jewish parents who survived the Holocaust, he has written extensively about international law, human rights, Zionism, and Israeli policy toward Palestinians.