Gaza: More than 30 independent experts working with the United Nations called on countries around the world to act “now” to prevent the “annihilation” of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The experts, who are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the organization, stressed the need for states to act to end the ongoing genocide, dismantle the apartheid system, and ensure a future in which Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in freedom and dignity.
According to Qatar News Agency, the experts, including Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, emphasized the stark choice facing the international community: to either remain passive and witness the slaughter of innocents or to participate in crafting a just resolution. They issued a call to action, stating, “The global conscience has awakened, if asserted – despite the moral abyss we are descending into – justice will ultimately prevail.”
The experts questioned whether Member States will fulfill their obligations and intervene to stop the ongoing slaughter, hunger, disease, and other war crimes and crimes against humanity that are being perpetrated daily with complete impunity. They highlighted that while states debate terminology regarding whether the situation constitutes genocide, Israel continues its relentless destruction of life in Gaza through attacks by land, air, and sea, displacing and massacring the surviving population.
Earlier today, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 52,653 martyrs, with an additional 118,897 injured.