Israel dismissed as "entirely false" an Amnesty International report on Thursday accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
"The deplorable and fanatical organisation Amnesty International has once again produced a fabricated report that is entirely false and based on lies," Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement said that it was instead Hamas's unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that was "genocidal".
"Israel is defending itself... acting fully in accordance with international law", it said.
Rights group Amnesty said its findings were based on "dehumanising and genocidal statements by Israeli government and military officials", satellite images documenting devastation, fieldwork and ground reports from Gazans.
Amnesty said its 300-page report was a "wake-up call" for the international community, and urged states to stop transferring weapons to Israel.
Hamas's October 7 attack that sparked the war last year resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 44,532 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry which the United Nations deems reliable.
AFP