Salaam - UN expert says Western states share blame for Gaza devastation, warns UN losing relevance
As-salaam alaykum. A UN human rights investigator has said Western countries share responsibility for the destruction in Gaza and accused them of enabling what she called a “full-fledged genocide” against Palestinians. She also warned that the United Nations is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, presented her report to the General Assembly’s Third Committee. She said the UN had “failed miserably” to uphold international law and protect civilians in Gaza, and that its humanitarian role there has been nearly dismantled - especially the agency for Palestinian refugees, which suffered after allegations about a few staff members.
Albanese criticized member states for not containing the two powers she identified as threats to regional peace. She said she had hoped the UN would stand firm and principled, but feared it is losing influence. She also condemned sanctions the United States imposed on her in July for her UN work, calling those measures unlawful and damaging to the UN’s independence.
Her report alleges that Western governments provided military, political and economic support that helped sustain Israel’s occupation and military campaign in Gaza. She said the scale of violence since October 2023 has reached unprecedented levels and must be seen as internationally enabled. She accused many mainly Western states of facilitating and normalizing the campaign by echoing narratives that dehumanize Palestinian civilians.
Albanese called the situation apocalyptic, showing both the destruction in Gaza and what people and institutions have become. Still, she said international law remains important to tell right from wrong, and that public opposition is rising against genocide and other crimes. She urged governments to immediately review and suspend military, diplomatic and economic ties with Israel if those ties could amount to aiding unlawful acts. She warned no state can credibly claim to uphold international law while supporting or arming a regime committing such crimes.
Among her recommendations were pressing for a complete, permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal of troops, ending the siege of Gaza, reopening its airport and port, and suspending Israel from the UN under Article 6 of the UN Charter for persistent violations. She stressed that complicity in genocide must end and that states must act.
Israel’s UN ambassador rejected her findings, accusing her of bias and calling the report propaganda. Special rapporteurs are independent experts who serve voluntarily and are not UN staff.
May Allah guide us to justice and protect the innocent. Please keep the people of Gaza in your duas.
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