Officials and representatives voiced grave concern Thursday about Israel's acts against Palestinians, as the Palestinian deputy envoy to the UN emphasized that Israel is "waging an open war on the UN."
"Israel claims it is the one under attack by the UN, even as it is the one waging an open war on the UN not just on UNRWA but on; the secretary general (Antonio Guterres), on special rapporteurs, commissioners, on the Security Council, General Assembly, Human Rights Council, the ICJ (International Court of Justice), the ICC (International Criminal Court), on this committee. On every single country that dares to speak out, on the entire UN system and the international community," said deputy Palestine envoy to the UN Feda Abdelhady.
Abdelhady remarks came at a briefing of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on "International legal responsibilities for preventing genocide, holding perpetrators of war crimes accountable, and for ending the unlawful occupation of Palestine."
Underscoring the urgency of a global response, Abdelhady said: "We believe we are at a turning point. Although the days have never been darker, the prospects for justice and accountability have never been greater."
"The responsibilities of the international community are no longer up for debate. They are explicit and urgent," she added.
Urging an end to the genocide in the Gaza Strip, she stressed the need to "hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable and end this illegal, immoral and inhumane occupation, which stands in defiance of every legal and moral principle."
"We owe it to the Palestinian people and to future generations in our region and around the world," she noted.
Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, echoed Abdelhady's sentiments and said the violence against Palestinians is "not happening in a vacuum, but part of a long-term, state-organized forced displacement."
She emphasized labeling the situation in Gaza as genocide, adding that the "international community has failed to protect the victims of genocide. This is the same way we are failing the Palestinians."
Repeating her call "to consider suspending the credential of Israel as a (UN) member state," Albanese stressed that "no one else has maintained an unlawful occupation, violating decades of UN Security Council, General Assembly, Human Rights Council, International Court of Justice, decision and resolutions, as Israel has done."
"No one, no Palestinians, is safe under Israeli rule," she said.
Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN special rapporteur on health, described the situation in Gaza as an "ongoing enactment of decades-long genocidal plans, systemic and sustained imperialist violence experienced by Palestinians every single day."
Highlighting the destruction of Gaza's health care system, she said, "The health system in Gaza has been completely obliterated and the right to health has been decimated at every level."
She pointed to the humanitarian crisis, with famine and dehydration imposed on the population.
"Not only is Israel killing and causing irreparable harm against Palestinian people with bombardment. But Israel and their allies are also knowingly and intentionally imposing famine and dehydration," she said.
Calling for immediate action, Mofokeng said, "We need an end to this illegal occupation. We need an end and accountability to this genocide."
Chris Sidoti, from the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, emphasized that waiting for formal declarations to prevent genocide is "not necessary."
"The first is the obligation on all state parties to the Convention to prevent genocide. Whether it is occurring or not, there is an obligation to prevent," he said.
Sidoti stressed that applause is only appropriate when "the killing stops, and not before," and said: "We have not stopped one child being killed. We have not stopped one woman being killed. We have not stopped the war."
Palestinian Canadian legal expert Diana Buttu explained the sobering perspective on the situation of Palestinians, "The options for Palestinians there are to starve, be killed, or flee," she said.
"While Israel and supporters may try to discount claims of genocide ... the reality is seen and known. It's just being ignored. And as Palestinians, we refuse to be erased," she said.
Criticizing the lack of international response, Buttu blamed Israel, the U.S. and European countries for "either pushing for continuation of the genocide, supporting it or funding it."
