What is a home? It is not only the place where one lives, but also from where one commutes to school or work, goes shopping and returns to.

A community is made up of homes. A war or conflict can destroy homes and force residents to evacuate, breaking up families and sometimes wiping out the community itself.

It has been nearly four months since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. About 27,000 citizens of Gaza have been killed and 1.9 million people--more than 80 percent of the population--have been displaced.

Recently, “domicide” has become a frequently used word in European and U.S. media reports on the conflict there.

While genocide means the intentional mass killing of a group of people, domicide denotes the deliberate, large-scale destruction of buildings such as civilian housing.

The word is etymologically rooted in the Latin “domus” (home) and “caedo” (to kill).

As of mid-January, according to the United Nations, about 70,000 homes in Gaza were completely destroyed and another 290,000 partially destroyed.

And aside from them, all manner of other civilian buildings and infrastructure facilities--such as schools, hospitals, mosques and farms--have been destroyed.

Israel insists the destruction is necessary “because of Hamas.”

The International Court of Justice last month ordered Israel to refrain from acts of genocide in Gaza. But there is no definition of domicide yet under international law.

Calls are being made to designate it as a crime under international humanitarian law so offenders can be brought to justice.

Domicide has been committed in Ukraine by invading Russian forces and in Syria during the civil war.

The act of depriving citizens of a home and hometown to return to can never be condoned.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 5

* *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.