Time running out to prevent ‘genocide’ in Gaza: UN experts

A group of UN-mandated human rights experts, including the special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said yesterday that "time is running out to prevent genocide and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”."We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide,” the experts said in a joint statement."The time for action is now. Israel’s allies also bear responsibility and must act now to prevent its disastrous course of action.”UN special rapporteurs are unpaid, independent figures mandated by the Human Rights Council. They do not speak for the United Nations but report their findings to it as part of the council’s fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms."The situation in Gaza has reached a catastrophic tipping point,” the experts said, warning of the "dire need” for food, water, medicine, fuel and essential supplies and the risk of looming health hazards.The statement was signed by Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.The other signatories were the special rapporteurs on safe drinking water; food; physical and mental health; internally displaced persons; freedom of expression; and on contemporary racism.Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since October 7, killing more than 9,000 people, mostly women and children.On Oct. 28, senior UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber, who resigned in protest against the Israeli aggression against Gaza, wrote to the High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, saying "we are seeing a genocide unfolding before our eyes, and the Organisation that we serve appears powerless to stop it.”Speaking after the experts’ statement was issued, one of its signatories said the people of Gaza had been deprived of the "the most basic elements for living.”"We are using the term risk of genocide because the process that is (underway) is absolutely indiscriminate, affecting, in this case, more than 2 million people,” said Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation."And in this sense, I think we are facing a risk of genocide, effectively.”Aid supplies to Gaza have been choked since Israel began bombarding the densely populated enclave, with aid organisations saying it is nowhere near matching the needs of the people there."The situation in Gaza has reached a catastrophic tipping point,” the UN experts said, adding that Gazans had been left with scarce water, medicine, fuel and essential supplies while facing health hazards.