Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, called on Wednesday for an immediate halt to direct arms transfers to Israel and a review of its UN credentials to underscore that impunity will not be tolerated.
Speaking at a news conference in Geneva on “Human Rights Violations in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” Albanese highlighted that over 44,000 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and sniper fire, with 70% of the victims being women and children.
“More than 100,000 individuals have been wounded, many of whom lack access to even the most basic medical care. Thousands are unable to receive treatment for curable diseases, and now they face a second winter in makeshift shelters without adequate food or clothing,” she said.
Albanese was joined by other UN experts, including Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism; and George Katrougalos, Special Rapporteur on Democratic and Equitable International Order. Together, they addressed human rights violations across Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories and criticized verbal attacks against the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICJ is currently hearing two major cases related to the Gaza conflict: one filed by South Africa, accusing Israel of genocide through direct killings and withholding essential resources, and another brought by Nicaragua, challenging Germany’s arms supplies to Israel.
Uprooted Population
Albanese emphasized the dire situation in Gaza, where the entire population has been displaced, with many losing their homes permanently. Children face uncertainty about returning to school, and nearly 19,000 children have been hospitalized for acute malnutrition in the past four months alone.
“Famine is now a grim reality. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is being blocked in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Militarized Israeli security operations, settlement expansion, evictions, demolitions, violence, and threats of annexation are intensifying the suffering of Palestinians, who are subject to an unlawful ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy,” she said.
On November 21, the ICJ issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes committed in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.
Backlash Against the ICJ
Margaret Satterthwaite noted that since the issuance of the arrest warrants, “dozens of states” have affirmed their support for the ICJ and committed to cooperating with it. However, she expressed grave concern over the hostile reactions of some states.
“A number of states have responded by verbally attacking the court, its judges, and the prosecutor, often using entirely inappropriate language,” she said.
Officials from one country, believed to be Israel, accused the court of harboring an antisemitic bias. In addition, an elected official from another state dismissed the ICJ as a “dangerous joke,” while another referred to it as a “kangaroo court” and used derogatory language to disparage the prosecutor. Satterthwaite further revealed that some of these statements included threats of sanctions against ICJ officials and even more severe measures.
