Israel accused of perpetrating a genocide within Gaza by UN investigators
The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a claim that has been met with vehement rejection by Israeli authorities. The commission, tasked with investigating the rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, concluded that Israeli authorities and forces had committed four of the five genocidal acts listed in the 1948 Genocide Convention. Navi Pillay, the commission's chief, is a former South African judge who once headed the international tribunal for Rwanda and also served as the U.N. human rights chief. The commission's report, published nearly two years after the war erupted in Gaza in October 2023, suggests that genocide is ongoing in the region. Pillay warned that the absence of action to stop the genocide amounts to complicity. She stated that the international community cannot stay silent on the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The commission's findings suggest that Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant have incited the commission of genocide and have not been punished for it. Pillay, the commission's chief, stated that the responsibility for the genocide lies with the State of Israel. Israel has faced accusations of committing genocide in Gaza from various NGOs, independent U.N. experts, and international courts. In January last year, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent acts of 'genocide' in Gaza. Four months later, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity. Angered by the ICC's move, the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration imposed sanctions on two ICC judges and two prosecutors. Nearly 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. It is important to note that the United Nations itself has not labeled the situation in Gaza as genocide. However, its aid chief urged world leaders to prevent genocide, and its rights chief denounced Israeli 'genocidal rhetoric'. The commission, while not a legal body, its reports can wield diplomatic pressure and serve as evidence for future court cases. Isaac Herzog, the current President of Israel, is a former leader of the Israeli Labor Party and serves as the ceremonial head of state with some official government roles but is not directly charged with policies like those alleged in the UN COI report regarding Gaza. Pillay stated that the absence of action to stop the genocide amounts to complicity. She urged the international community to take decisive action to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
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