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| UN human rights staff urge leadership to declare Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide | UN human rights staff urge leadership to declare Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide |
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| Internal letter also calls on UN member states to suspend arms sales, saying ‘criticising Israel is not enough’ | Internal letter also calls on UN member states to suspend arms sales, saying ‘criticising Israel is not enough’ |
| Middle East crisis – live updates | |
| Hundreds of employees of the United Nations’ leading human rights agency have backed an internal letter telling its leadership to declare Israel’s offensive in Gaza a genocide and to call on UN member states to suspend arms sales to Israel. | Hundreds of employees of the United Nations’ leading human rights agency have backed an internal letter telling its leadership to declare Israel’s offensive in Gaza a genocide and to call on UN member states to suspend arms sales to Israel. |
| The 1,100-word letter, signed by about a quarter of the 2,000 staff of the Geneva- and New York-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), says the Israeli offensive in Gaza meets the legal threshold of genocide and that this means “arms sales, transfers and related logistical or financial support to Israeli authorities” constitutes a clear breach of international law by all those involved. | The 1,100-word letter, signed by about a quarter of the 2,000 staff of the Geneva- and New York-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), says the Israeli offensive in Gaza meets the legal threshold of genocide and that this means “arms sales, transfers and related logistical or financial support to Israeli authorities” constitutes a clear breach of international law by all those involved. |
| OHCHR employees told the Guardian they were frustrated with the failure of agency’s head, Volker Türk, to “move beyond condemning Israel”. | OHCHR employees told the Guardian they were frustrated with the failure of agency’s head, Volker Türk, to “move beyond condemning Israel”. |
| “The messaging has been the same for almost two years. Criticising Israel is not enough. He needs to be saying exactly what steps member states need to take to meet their obligations to prevent genocide and very firmly pointing out the legal consequences for leaders, officials and private businesses if they don’t,” said one staff member who signed the letter. | “The messaging has been the same for almost two years. Criticising Israel is not enough. He needs to be saying exactly what steps member states need to take to meet their obligations to prevent genocide and very firmly pointing out the legal consequences for leaders, officials and private businesses if they don’t,” said one staff member who signed the letter. |
| Another praised Türk’s criticism of Israel for grave breaches of international law and apparent war crimes but charged that the decision to avoid clearer public statements about genocide was “a political not a legal choice”. | Another praised Türk’s criticism of Israel for grave breaches of international law and apparent war crimes but charged that the decision to avoid clearer public statements about genocide was “a political not a legal choice”. |
| The letter, seen by the Guardian, says that based on the “available evidence and authoritative assessments by the UN-appointed experts, as well as legal and [international humanitarian law] professionals, the legal threshold [for genocide] has been met. [We] therefore urge the Office to state the legal characterization publicly.” | The letter, seen by the Guardian, says that based on the “available evidence and authoritative assessments by the UN-appointed experts, as well as legal and [international humanitarian law] professionals, the legal threshold [for genocide] has been met. [We] therefore urge the Office to state the legal characterization publicly.” |
| The OHCHR “has a strong legal and moral responsibility to denounce acts of genocide” and that “failing to denounce an unfolding genocide undermines the credibility of the UN and the human rights system itself”, the letter adds. | The OHCHR “has a strong legal and moral responsibility to denounce acts of genocide” and that “failing to denounce an unfolding genocide undermines the credibility of the UN and the human rights system itself”, the letter adds. |
| UN officials have said that only an international court can declare a genocide – a process that can take many years. Experts on the international court of justice (ICJ) said in July that a judgment on whether Israel was committing genocide in Gaza was unlikely before the end of 2027 at the earliest. | UN officials have said that only an international court can declare a genocide – a process that can take many years. Experts on the international court of justice (ICJ) said in July that a judgment on whether Israel was committing genocide in Gaza was unlikely before the end of 2027 at the earliest. |
| Many international human rights groups have already said a genocide is under way in Gaza, where the Israeli offensive has killed more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, injured 150,000 and displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population. UN-backed experts declared a famine in parts of the devastated territory earlier this month. | Many international human rights groups have already said a genocide is under way in Gaza, where the Israeli offensive has killed more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, injured 150,000 and displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population. UN-backed experts declared a famine in parts of the devastated territory earlier this month. |
| Israeli officials reject the charge of genocide as “outrageous and false”, and say the country is acting in self-defence after Hamas’s surprise raid in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. | Israeli officials reject the charge of genocide as “outrageous and false”, and say the country is acting in self-defence after Hamas’s surprise raid in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. |
| In January last year, the ICJ ruled that the claim of genocide was “plausible” and ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power” to stop acts of genocide, and incitement to genocide from being committed and take “immediate and effective measures” to allow aid into Gaza. | In January last year, the ICJ ruled that the claim of genocide was “plausible” and ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power” to stop acts of genocide, and incitement to genocide from being committed and take “immediate and effective measures” to allow aid into Gaza. |
| One OHCHR employee said Türk was failing his mandate to prevent as well as report human rights abuses around the world and that his high-profile post offered an opportunity to make a much greater difference. | One OHCHR employee said Türk was failing his mandate to prevent as well as report human rights abuses around the world and that his high-profile post offered an opportunity to make a much greater difference. |
| “People take notice of what we say, and he says. He could be telling member states and officials working for them that they could face really serious legal consequences. At least that would make them think and put down a marker. No one could claim later that they didn’t know,” said one signatory to the letter. | “People take notice of what we say, and he says. He could be telling member states and officials working for them that they could face really serious legal consequences. At least that would make them think and put down a marker. No one could claim later that they didn’t know,” said one signatory to the letter. |
| In his response to the letter, also seen by the Guardian, Türk said signatories had raised “important concerns” and pledged to continue to “demand accountability regarding arms transfers facilitating violations”. | In his response to the letter, also seen by the Guardian, Türk said signatories had raised “important concerns” and pledged to continue to “demand accountability regarding arms transfers facilitating violations”. |
| “I know we all share a feeling of moral indignation at the horrors we are witnessing, as well as frustration in the face of the international community’s inability to bring this situation to an end,” wrote Türk, a human rights lawyer and veteran UN official, . | “I know we all share a feeling of moral indignation at the horrors we are witnessing, as well as frustration in the face of the international community’s inability to bring this situation to an end,” wrote Türk, a human rights lawyer and veteran UN official, . |
| A spokesperson for the OHCHR said the agency had been working in very difficult circumstances “in the face of vilification and accusations of bias, complicity, antisemitism, double standards and more” to try to document the facts on the ground and raise the alarm. The spokesperson added that Türk had warned repeatedly of the “high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes”, which include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, “are being committed in the occupied Palestinian territory”. | A spokesperson for the OHCHR said the agency had been working in very difficult circumstances “in the face of vilification and accusations of bias, complicity, antisemitism, double standards and more” to try to document the facts on the ground and raise the alarm. The spokesperson added that Türk had warned repeatedly of the “high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes”, which include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, “are being committed in the occupied Palestinian territory”. |
| In November, Türk called on UN member states to assess arms sales or transfers to Israel and any other actors in the conflict, “with a view to ending such support if this risks serious violations of international law.” | In November, Türk called on UN member states to assess arms sales or transfers to Israel and any other actors in the conflict, “with a view to ending such support if this risks serious violations of international law.” |
| “As the high commissioner has said, since 7 October 2023, parties to this conflict have paid little heed to international law that protects human rights and governs the conduct of hostilities. This has been a stain on the collective conscience of humanity … The international community needs to come together to bring this unbearable horror to an end,” the spokesperson said. | |
| Israel’s foreign ministry told Reuters it did not respond to internal UN employees’ letters “even if they are false, baseless, and blinded by obsessive hatred towards Israel”. | Israel’s foreign ministry told Reuters it did not respond to internal UN employees’ letters “even if they are false, baseless, and blinded by obsessive hatred towards Israel”. |