Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Gaza war: UN experts flay Western support for Israel's genocide

POSTED ON September 17, 2024 •   GLOBAL NEWS      BY Benedicta Bassey
A vehicle moves past the rubble of collapsed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 16, 2024, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. l Credit: AFP

UN human rights experts criticised mostly Western states on Monday for continuing to support Israel despite what they described as a genocide in Gaza which may turn Israel into a "pariah" nation.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as a result of more than 11 months of conflict has prompted questions about Western states' long-standing political and military support for Israel, including from the United States and Britain which provide arms.

"Shockingly, in the face of the abyss reached in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) ...most member states remained inactive at best, or actively aiding and assisting Israel's criminal conduct," Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the OPT, told a press conference in Geneva, repeating allegations of genocide.

Israel denied the allegations and said it had takes steps to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and that at least a third of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza are fighters .

"I think it's unavoidable for Israel to become a pariah in the face of its continuous, relentless, vilifying assault of the United Nations, on top of millions of Palestinians," Albanese, an Italian lawyer, said, citing verbal and military attacks on UN facilities in Gaza.

She also questioned Israel's right to a seat at the United Nations, acquired in 1949.

 "Should there be a consideration of its membership as part of this organisation which Israel seems to have zero respect for?" she asked.

In response to her comments, Israel's permanent mission to the UN in Geneva criticized Albanese. "She is not fit to hold any position at the United Nations, and this has been made clear by many," it said.

In the past, her remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict had drawn scrutiny, including from a US ambassador in Geneva who said she had a history of using "antisemitic tropes".

Albanese was joined by three other UN independent experts who accused Western countries of hypocrisy and double standards, for example by being more vocal over perceived rights' violations by Russia since its invasion of Ukraine than of Israel's actions in Gaza.

They are among dozens of independent human rights experts mandated by the United Nations to report and advise on specific themes and crises. Their views do not reflect those of the global body as a whole.

READ ALSO
NLC Decries Nigeria's Poor Labor Rights Record as National Disgrace
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its worries about the nation's inadequate performanc...

READ ALSO
Israeli Strike Hits Catholic Church in Gaza, Killing Two Civilians
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church resulted in the deaths of two individuals on Thu...

READ ALSO
FG Denies Emergence of New Terrorist Groups Amid Turkish Warnings
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

The Federal Government On Wednesday, stated that no new terrorist groups have emerged in the country...

READ ALSO
Nation Mourns: Tears Flow at the Funeral of Former President Muhammadu Buhari
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 16, 2025 0

Tears streamed down faces at the funeral for the late former president, Muhammadu Buhari, as his bod...

READ ALSO
SERAP files Lawsuit against NNPCL over Missing $2.5bn, N825bn for Refinery Rehabilitation
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 13, 2025 0

SERAP files lawsuit against NNPCL over missing $2.5bn and N825bn earmarked for refinery rehabilitati...

READ ALSO
Accord Party Calls for Abolishment of State Electoral Commissions to Restore Election Integrity
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 13, 2025 0

The Accord Party has emphasized the necessity for the National Assembly to eliminate the State Indep...

READ ALSO
Tinubu Returns to Abuja after Successful Diplomatic Missions in Saint Lucia and Brazil
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 13, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria - President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja late Saturday following official trips to S...

READ ALSO
Nigerian Man Sentenced to 11 Years for $1.3 Million COVID-19 Fraud
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 12, 2025 0

A Nigerian man residing in the San Gabriel Valley, Abiola Femi Quadri, received a sentence of 135 mo...

OUR CHANNELS:

Health Workers Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Controversial Allowance
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

Medical practitioners in Ekiti and Ondo states have voiced strong opposition to a recent circular is...


Nigeria's Electricity Tariff Subsidy Soars to N1.94 Trillion in 2024, Marking a 219.67% Increase
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

The electricity tariff subsidy from the Federal Government has increased significantly from N610 bil...


Tinubu Renamed University of Maiduguri in Honor of Late President Muhammadu Buhari
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has approved the renaming of the University of Maiduguri in Borno State to Muh...


Obama’s Debunk Report on Divorce
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have put to rest rumors regarding their m...


Bayelsa Govt. Cautions Principal Officers on Pension Delay
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The Bayelsa State Government has cautioned principal officers of local government councils to avoid...


NLC Decries Nigeria's Poor Labor Rights Record as National Disgrace
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 18, 2025 0

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its worries about the nation's inadequate performanc...


Israeli Strike Hits Catholic Church in Gaza, Killing Two Civilians
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 20, 2025 0

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church resulted in the deaths of two individuals on Thu...


SSC Napoli Completes €25 Million Deal for Noa Lang from PSV
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

Serie A champions Napoli confirmed on Thursday that they have signed Dutch forward Noa Lang from PSV...


Civil Defence Board Temporarily Closes Recruitment Portal for System Enhancements
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 20, 2025 0

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has temporarily closed its recr...


Nigeria Should Aim for 60,000 Megawatts of Power Generation- Dangote
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 19, 2025 0

President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, argues that Nigeria's low electricity generati...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu