On Thursday, United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, called for an investigation into whether political and military support for Israel from various Western countries could amount to “complicity” in genocide.

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“Complicity in genocide is a crime in itself under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” she said at a press conference at the end of her visit to Egypt and Jordan to assess the situation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Albanese, one of the most outspoken voices against the Israeli offensive in Gaza, called for an investigation into the extent to which the political and military aid granted to Israel by countries such as the United States may amount to complicity.

She also denounced the “constant political support veto after veto at the level of the United Nations Security Council” to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In this regard, Albanese lamented the inability of Western countries to impose sanctions on the Jewish state, which the rapporteur herself recommended be applied before the outbreak of the offensive against Gaza in October 2023.

“There are clear genocidal patterns… and some states still show reluctance to take these measures,” she pointed out.

The UN rapporteur also lamented that she was not allowed by Israeli authorities to access the occupied West Bank or the Gaza Strip to assess the situation on the ground and draft her report with recommendations and steps to alleviate the civilian population’s suffering.

She advocated for the role of the United Nations in coordinating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, stating, “it is not fair that only Egypt” assumes this role at the Rafah border crossing.

Albanese expressed concern about the delivery of humanitarian aid, as “much of it is not allowed entry” and remains waiting in warehouses in northern Sinai, while warning that air drops of assistance are “the worst that can be done.”

She also indicated that during her meeting with representatives of the Arab League, she suggested the creation of a peace mission led by this pan-Arab institution.

“Under the fog of war, Israel takes the opportunity to cleanse the territory of Palestinian presence,” Albanese recalled, pointing out that the activities of settlers in the West Bank are “genocidal in nature.”

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