Israel is accused of committing one of the most brutal genocides of modern times, while Palestinians continue to suffer from serious humanitarian consequences, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation in Palestine, said during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Thursday.
In her speech, Albanese emphasised: “The situation in the occupied Palestinian territories is becoming apocalyptic. In Gaza, the Palestinian population is suffering terribly. Israel is essentially responsible for one of the most barbaric acts of genocide in recent history. According to official statistics, the number of dead and wounded exceeds 200,000, while leading health experts say the actual toll could be much higher.”
In addition, Albanese pointed to the escalating situation in the West Bank, where mass violent evictions of Palestinians are continuing, the largest since 1967. As a result, nearly 1,000 people have been killed, about 10,000 injured, and many more detained, many of whom, she said, have been tortured.
The UN Special Rapporteur noted that the root of the problem lies not only in a lack of understanding of Palestinian history and culture. In her opinion, the close political ties between a number of states and Israel lead to ideological contradictions, which undermine objectivity. However, she argued that such arguments lose their force in “the face of the ongoing genocide.”
The 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council is taking place from June 16 to July 9 in Geneva. The Council, established in 2006, brings together 47 member states and is responsible for protecting human rights, examining violations, adopting resolutions and coordinating international efforts in this area.
Washington and Tel Aviv against the UN
This February, the US and Israel announced a boycott of the UN Council’s meetings. Russia, for its part, is participating in the session as an observer.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump’s administration sent an official request to the UN to remove Albanese from her position as Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian issue. The information was disclosed as a result of a leak of confidential correspondence between US and UN representatives.
