The report to be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council this week asserts that there are grounds to believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The document, prepared by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, concludes that the scale and nature of Israel’s assault on Gaza and the harsh living conditions it has imposed indicate an intent to destroy the Palestinian people as a group. It also calls on UN member states to immediately impose a weapons embargo on Israel.
The rapporteur, who serves in a personal capacity rather than as a representative of the United Nations, states that Israel is engaging in at least three acts prohibited by the 1948 Genocide Convention: killing members of a group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately imposing conditions calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part.
The report notes that the first category of violation covers deaths resulting not only from direct actions but also from negligence, including deaths arising from deliberate famine. It highlights that since October 7, when Hamas attacks occurred, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, equating to roughly 1.4 percent of Gaza’s population, through lethal weapons and the deliberate imposition of life-threatening conditions.
“An escalation stage in a long process of erasure” is how the report describes the current situation. It stresses that no Palestinian in Gaza is safe and accuses Israel of distorting international humanitarian law. The document frames the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza as a step in a prolonged colonial process of erasure, arguing that the current Nakba must end and be remedied once and for all.
The report proposes a set of measures aimed at accountability and reparations. It urges UN member states to impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel, which would address violations the International Criminal Court deemed binding on January 26. It also proposes that South Africa bring Israel before the UN Security Council for failing to comply with those Hague-based measures. In the near term, as a temporary measure, the report calls for a coordinated international protection presence in consultation with the Palestinian authorities to reduce the violence against Palestinians. It also emphasizes ensuring that UNRWA receives adequate funding to meet the increased needs of Palestinians in Gaza.