By Staff, Agencies

After repeatedly rejecting the tag, Jeremy Ben-Ami, head of liberal Zionist lobby group J street, admits that "Israel's" war crimes in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide.

In a statement published Sunday, Ben-Ami said he had been "persuaded rationally" by legal and scholarly arguments and could no longer oppose those using the term to describe the ongoing war.

His shift marks a significant change among liberal pro-"Israel" voices in the US, as pressure mounts over the occupation's crimes in Gaza.

Ben-Ami stated that while he is unlikely to use the term "genocide" himself, he will no longer challenge its use as he would not defend "the indefensible."

In a newsletter sent on the day marking the “Tisha B'Av” holiday, he cited actions such as denying food and necessities to civilians, shooting at those seeking aid, the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, and the forced displacement of its population as key indicators.

"I have...been persuaded rationally by legal and scholarly arguments that international courts will one day find that 'Israel' has broken the international genocide convention," Ben-Ami wrote.

Ben-Ami’s change in position follows growing international backlash over the "Israeli"-manufactured humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He previously denied the genocide claim in a podcast debate with journalist Mehdi Hasan.

However, images of emaciated Palestinians and reports of mass starvation have contributed to him shifting his views.

Despite mounting evidence of "Israeli" occupation forces, even US mercenaries, shooting at Palestinians at and near aid sites, "Israel" continues to deny targeting civilians or causing famine.