UN Expert Urges Global Action to Halt “Genocide and Humanitarian Catastrophe” Against Palestinians Amid Intensifying Crisis in Gaz

In her address to the UN General Assembly, Albanese condemned the ongoing large-scale devastation in Gaza, which has extended to other areas of occupied Palestinian land.

The Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, appealed for decisive international intervention to stop what she described as a settler colonial genocide and a man-made humanitarian catastrophe targeting Palestinians in Gaza and beyond. In her address to the UN General Assembly, Albanese condemned the ongoing large-scale devastation in Gaza, which has extended to other areas of occupied Palestinian land.

Gaza: A “Wasteland” of Rubble and Trauma

According to Albanese’s report, the situation in Gaza has devolved into a grave humanitarian crisis, with widespread destruction, severe deprivation, and rampant disease. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, and social structures that once supported resilience have been dismantled. “Gaza has become a wasteland of rubble and human remains,” Albanese stated, adding that residents are grappling with inherited trauma from the Nakba in 1948, now compounded by new waves of violence.

Albanese expressed alarm over the sheer scope of the violence since October 7, 2023, noting that at least 150,000 Palestinians have been killed, injured, or are missing, with many of the victims being women and children. Entire families have reportedly been obliterated, and the destruction is reshaping Palestinian society with an intensity that she warned may permanently alter the future of its people.

Israeli Policies and Systematic Displacement

In her report, Albanese underscored that the recent escalation of violence is part of a broader, systematic agenda aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land and facilitating Israeli annexation. She highlighted how forced displacement policies have now expanded beyond Gaza and the West Bank, reaching Palestinian communities in Lebanon. “The violence post-7 October is not in a vacuum; it’s a systematic, State-organized plan designed to erase Palestinians from their own land,” she asserted, calling it an “intentional, long-term process of settler colonialism.”

Plea for Compliance with International Law and Immediate Action

Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Albanese called upon UN Member States to acknowledge the plight of Palestinians and fulfill their obligations under international law, including the Genocide Convention. She appealed for an immediate halt to arms transfers to Israel, suspension of military aid, and accountability for all parties involved in human rights violations. “Time is running out,” she cautioned, urging states to break their silence and take swift action to protect Palestinian lives.

Albanese also called for international accountability under both individual criminal responsibility and State obligations, urging states to actively prevent genocide and cease military assistance to Israel. She reminded Member States of their duty to protect human rights and ensure adherence to non-derogable principles under the Genocide Convention, underscoring that inaction could lead to irreparable harm for Palestinians.

UN Appeals for Ceasefire and Humanitarian Aid

In tandem with Albanese’s report, UN agencies have warned of an escalating humanitarian crisis, with millions in Gaza facing severe food and water shortages, a shortage of medical supplies, and limited electricity. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has repeatedly appealed for immediate humanitarian aid corridors, calling the situation “unsustainable” and urging an immediate ceasefire.

As Albanese concluded, “The suffering of the Palestinian people cannot be ignored any longer. The international community must act swiftly to prevent further loss of life and protect the fundamental rights of those who remain in Palestine.”