United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, and Special Rapporteur on Housing Rights, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, accused Israel of committing the crime of genocide by leaving civilians in Gaza hungry and homeless.
Albanese, from her account X, stated that 45% of the population in Gaza is experiencing severe hunger, pointing out that in some areas, 9 out of 10 families spend a day without eating anything.
"This situation exacerbates genocide allegations because physical destruction can be achieved through starvation. Israel says it's an exaggeration. Then why can't journalists and human rights observers enter Gaza?" she said.
UN Special Rapporteur on Housing Rights Rajagopal also emphasized, through his account X, that about 56% of the houses in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged according to satellite images, stating that the northern part of Gaza, which has suffered 82% destruction, is the most heavily damaged region.
Rajagopal underlined that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) should consider this, along with evidence previously documented by South Africa, as "evidence of genocide."
According to Article 9 of the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, if a state violates the articles of the convention, any state party to the convention can bring a case against the violator state to the ICJ.
South Africa filed a case against Israel in the ICJ on December 29, claiming that Israel violated the Genocide Convention with its actions in Gaza since October 7, and requested an interim measure against Israel.
South African lawyers will present their arguments on the necessity of interim measures in the upcoming hearing, while Israeli lawyers will present their arguments to the ICJ judges on January 12.
