UN rapporteurs condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza, citing the rapid and devastating effects of the blockade and warning of ongoing genocide.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food has issued a stark warning, describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as an unprecedented and rapid campaign of starvation, calling it “the fastest in modern history.”
“How is Israel able to starve 2.3 million people so quickly and so completely?” Michael Fakhri asked on Wednesday during a joint press briefing in Geneva with other UN special rapporteurs.
“This is the fastest starvation campaign in modern history,” he emphasized, drawing attention to the devastating impact of Israel’s blockade, which has prevented all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
Fakhri further remarked, “This is not a ceasefire by any definition. This is a slowing down of military violence, but … unfolding of death through starvation.”
Gaza Genocide – Mass Killings, Starvation, and Forced Displacement Continue
Similarly, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, warned that even if the violence were to cease today, “the genocide will continue because there are no ways to remedy the destruction” already inflicted.
She also pointed out that “the genocidal violence is leaking out in the West Bank,” describing the violence as “as acute as ever.”
Expressing frustration over the lack of action, she said, “I don’t know how many warnings the international community will need … We will miss human rights very much when they are no longer able to protect us.”
Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights protection, condemned US President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Gaza’s population, calling it “a violation of the most fundamental rules of international order and the United Nations Charter since 1945.”
“It’s manifestly illegal to invade and annex foreign territory by force, to forcibly deport its population, and to deprive the Palestinian people of their right to self-determination,” Saul argued, stressing that any future plans for Gaza must align with the will of the Palestinian people, including any Arab-led proposals.
Gaza Famine Warning Report Retracted after Pressure from US Govt – AP
He also criticized “Israel’s continuing illegal military provocation in the wider region,” warning of broader destabilization.
In early March, the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel concluded. The deal, which began on January 19, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt, with US backing.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been waging a war in Gaza, resulting in over 160,000 Palestinian casualties, including dead and wounded—most of them children and women—while more than 14,000 people remain missing.
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
