UN commission accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza Strip
A commission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council has published a report which concludes that four of the five criteria for genocide listed in the UN Genocide Convention have been fulfilled: killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, and imposing measures to prevent births. Reactions in the European press are mixed.
Very factual and very urgent
Avvenire praises the report:
“Seventy-five pages packed with testimonies, data and analysis which, although not legally binding at present, nevertheless establish a firm stance: what is happening in Gaza can no longer be dismissed as an 'inevitable consequence' of war but comes dramatically close to the definition of genocide enshrined in the 1948 Genocide Convention. The strength of the dossier lies precisely in its objectivity. No proclamations, but a detailed list of actions that meet the genocide criteria under international law: widespread killings, infliction of physical and mental suffering, deliberate destruction of essential living conditions, denial of access to water, food and medical care, and the destruction of hospitals and health facilities.”
Nothing but propaganda
The UN has discredited itself with this report, says The Daily Telegraph:
“A laughable report alleging that the Jewish state is committing 'genocide'. Pretty poor genocide, given that more than two million Gazans remain alive despite Israel's military machine possessing the means to wipe them all out in an afternoon. But common sense isn't a concern, as the UN has no reason to believe that people won't swallow this stuff. Since the October 7 2023 massacres, which the UN revealingly failed to condemn at the time, it has used its international reputation as cover while it restyles itself as a propaganda body.”
External criticism unwelcome
Israel's prime minister has a siege mentality, columnist Pierre Haski writes on France Inter:
“The spirit of Sparta, like Netanyahu's promise to 'return to Gaza where it all began', is a response to external criticism: a no to the recognition of Palestine by France and other states that have long been close to Israel; a no to the possibility of the first European sanctions, which is being discussed in Brussels today; a no to the UN expert committee which has just concluded that genocide is taking place in Gaza, and a no to the Arab states – including the signatories to the Abraham Accords [cooperation agreements with Israel] – which gathered for a summit in Doha after the attack on Qatar.”
A global earthquake
All that remains of the international order is at stake in Gaza, writes political scientist Marina Pereira Guimarães in Público:
“What is emerging is not just another war in the Middle East. It is the visible collapse of a system that for decades offered the illusion of a lasting peace process. If the international community fails to find the means to take action beyond declarations and summits, not only the fate of the Palestinians and the security of Israel are at stake, but also the credibility of the idea that there is a global order capable of containing the violence of armed states. Gaza is the epicentre, but the earthquake is global.”