UN rapporteur says Israel is committing ‘settler-colonial genocide’

The UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine released a report Israel was accused Monday of waging a systematic campaign of forced displacement, destruction and genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

In its report to the UN General Assembly says Francesca Albanese described the “long-term, deliberate, state-directed displacement and replacement” of Palestinians, especially after the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

The report highlighted “genocidal intentions” as part of Israel’s decades-long strategy of territorial expansion and ethnic cleansing aimed at eradicating the Palestinian presence in their homeland.

“The violence unleashed against the Palestinians by Israel after October 7 does not take place in a vacuum, but is part of a long-term, deliberate, systematic, state-organized forcible displacement and replacement of the Palestinians,” the report said.

The report also accused Israel of hampering international investigative efforts by blocking access to investigative teams from the UN and the International Criminal Court.

“The continued denial of access to United Nations mechanisms and International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators may constitute an obstruction of justice, despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order that Israel allow international investigators to enter Gaza and take measures to ensure the preservation of evidence,” the report said.

The report noted that the ongoing “genocide is undoubtedly the result of the exceptional status and long-term impunity afforded Israel.”

“Israel has systematically and flagrantly violated international law, including UN Security Council resolutions and orders of the International Court of Justice,” the report said. “This has emboldened Israel’s hubris and its struggle against international law.”

“As the world watches the first live-streamed settler-on-settler genocide, only justice can heal the wounds created by political opportunism,” she added.

My new report is out – available in all official UN languages: https://t.co/rOTHGuyAYl

Genocide is a complex and insidious crime; Proving destructive intent is a difficult task – but not when it is so ostentatious, backed by a political doctrine of ideological hatred and… pic.twitter.com/rdUna6za7y

— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) October 28, 2024

‘Silence’ in Gaza

The report highlighted the serious destruction in Gaza and drew attention to ‘domicide’ – the deliberate and systematic destruction of homes and infrastructure to make an area uninhabitable, and ‘ecocide’ – the deliberate destruction of the natural environment.

It was estimated that approximately 40 million tons of debris, including unexploded ordnance and human remains, contaminated the environment.

More than 140 temporary waste sites and 340,000 tons of untreated sewage now pose health risks and contribute to outbreaks of hepatitis A, respiratory infections, diarrhea and skin diseases.

“As Israeli leaders promised, Gaza has been made unfit for human life,” the report said, highlighting Israeli-imposed restrictions on the import of essential resources such as food, water and medical supplies.

“Systematic attacks on food sovereignty in Gaza indicate an intention to destroy the people of Gaza through famine,” the report said, referring to comments by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in August in which he stated that starving the entire population of Gaza was “justified and moral.”

Genocide risk in the occupied West Bank

The report warned that violence and systematic attacks were now spreading beyond Gaza, raising “serious concerns about genocidal risks” in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces are believed to have carried out more than 5,500 raids in the West Bank, resulting in hundreds of Palestinian deaths and thousands of injuries, as well as the detention of at least 11,200 people.

Albanians emphasized that this escalation was caused by violent settlers, often supported by Israeli forces, describing these patterns as a reflection of the severe destruction in Gaza.

She pointed to disturbing cases of Palestinian children being specifically targeted, with at least 169 children killed since October 2023, nearly 80 percent of whom received fatal shots to the head or torso.

“The devastation inflicted on Gaza is now spreading to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” the report warned, noting that certain officials, such as Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, openly condemned the harsh treatment and had approved mass arrests of Palestinians. of which 9,400 are currently being held under harsh conditions.

Urgent intervention needed

Albanese urged the international community to act decisively, saying that “Member States must act now to prevent new atrocities that will further damage human history.”

She called on states to use all available political influence, including a full arms embargo and sanctions, to force Israel to halt its attack on the Palestinians, agree to a ceasefire and withdraw completely from the occupied Palestinian territories, in accordance with an opinion from the ICJ. on July 19.

She also called on states to formally designate Israel as an “apartheid state and persistent violator of international law,” while calling for robust, independent investigations.

The Rapporteur further urged States to ensure that unlimited humanitarian aid reaches Gaza and to secure full funding and protection from UNRWA.

Finally, she urged the ICC prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes of genocide and apartheid committed by Israel.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, the Israeli army has continued a destructive offensive in Gaza since Hamas’ cross-border attack last October.

Local health authorities report more than 43,000 deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 101,100 injuries in the area since the attacks began. The actual death toll could be much higher as thousands of bodies are believed to be trapped under the rubble.

The Israeli campaign has displaced virtually the entire population of Gaza, which is under constant siege.

Israel is facing a genocide case before the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.