UN Rapporteur Calls on European Union to Stop Genocide in Gaza

On Wednesday, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, appealed to European countries to take concrete actions to stop the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

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"We need willingness. There needs to be willingness in the European Union to act, among the EU member states to act. But before willingness, we must truly reconsider where our conscience lies. Because I even wonder what remains of our humanity if we cannot react with indignation to what we are allowing to happen in Gaza," said Albanese at a press conference.

Upon an invitation from the Left United MEP Manu Pineda, she attended the European Parliament in Brussels to present "Anatomy of a Genocide," a report that advocates for taking "countermeasures" to ensure that "Israel complies again with international law."

“The report cites ‘reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the following acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has been met: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to groups’ members; and deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part’,” commented the Middle East Eye.

Countermeasures are "the only thing that can guarantee the security, protection, and freedom of all who live between the Jordan River and the sea," said Albanese.

Among these countermeasures, she proposes an arms and oil embargo on Israel as well as sanctions for state and non-state actors. The ultimate goal is to ensure the permanent ceasefire ordered by the United Nations Security Council, "whose resolutions are binding."

Albanese also considered it "fundamental to explore what the United Nations Charter allows in the presence of a massive international wrongful act, which are countermeasures, including revocation of diplomatic recognition, selective sanctions on government officials, and economic and political sanctions."

She also proposed the suspension of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel and the suspension of relations with Israeli institutions and private companies registered under the national jurisdictions of European countries.

Albanese recommended that "an exhaustive, independent, and transparent investigation of the atrocious crimes, especially acts equivalent to genocide," be supported, referring situations of genocide in Palestine to the International Court of Justice.

She pointed out that this Court, which is the supreme judicial institution of the United Nations, recognized "the genocide" of Israel in Gaza on January 26 and that the international community is obligated to take action to stop Israeli actions.

Albanese also criticized as "very cynical" to hear how EU member states discuss the humanitarian issue in Gaza, after 33,000 people have been killed, 70 percent of whom are women and children.

"It is clear that the victims were not just mass fighters, but also doctors, nurses, engineers, academics, scientists, and children. This is about the highest number of child deaths in a conflict. In fact, that figure is higher than the number of children killed in the last four years in all conflicts worldwide," emphasized the United Nations rapporteur.