Describing the events in Gaza as a "catastrophe," Rajagopal stated, "More than one million people fleeing from different parts of Gaza are concentrated in the city of Rafah. They are severely deprived of basic necessities such as water, food, and hygiene, in addition to the threat of disease. This goes beyond anything we have seen in any conflict worldwide in recent years. No matter how intense the conflicts have been, we have never encountered a situation where people are not even allowed to flee from where they live. From my perspective, this is an unprecedented situation."
Rajagopal pointed out that Israel does not know where these people are officially expected to go and reminded that there have been many statements from various sources within Israel indicating "the desire to completely expel them from Gaza."
Indicating serious allegations that high-ranking Israeli and other leaders are actually planning to completely eliminate the population of Gaza, Rajagopal said that these cannot be dismissed as "random conversations of individuals in Israel." He stated, "Things we thought were impossible are becoming increasingly possible day by day."
Rajagopal emphasized, "Unfortunately, everything we thought was impossible about Gaza is becoming increasingly possible day by day. Therefore, we need to evaluate Israel's actions based on what is actually happening, not what they say. The people of Gaza have been displaced many times and are now concentrated in Rafah. They are currently being bombed."
Rajagopal recalled that UN rapporteurs have issued many reports regarding the "genocidal" dimension of Israel's attacks in Gaza, reminding that in the first report, they stated there was a "serious risk of genocide."
Rajagopal later noted that they had published another report containing the possibility that "acts of genocide may already be occurring," stating, "Since then, we have confirmed that what has been happening in Gaza is indeed genocide. I must also mention the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, filed by the Republic of South Africa. The court ruled that the petition submitted by South Africa was largely accurate. Israel's actions are aimed at making Gaza uninhabitable for the population there in general. In my opinion, they are unequivocally acts of genocide."
Comparing the situation in Gaza to the Bosnian War, Rajagopal recalled that the ICJ had ruled the massacre in Srebrenica as "genocide." Rajagopal stated, "During the Bosnian War, around 8-9 thousand people died. If that event is considered genocide, I find it difficult to believe that what is happening in Gaza is not yet genocide. More than 28 thousand people have died, and more are being killed. It's hard to avoid concluding that what's happening is a genocide."
Rajagopal emphasized that the issue of Gaza represents a "complete failure" for the international community, stating that the mechanism for collective action is completely frozen, and the international community is doing nothing.
Rajagopal continued, saying, "The UN Security Council or the UN General Assembly have issued very weak decisions that were not implemented. Although the decision of the International Court of Justice was important morally and symbolically, it did not have a concrete decision that would lead to action or inaction specifically for Israel. Essentially, I believe the world has failed institutionally. Israel has once again shown that it is shielded by what I call 'institutionalized impunity.' Israel seems to be protected regardless of its violations. This can only be a form of institutionalized impunity. So the system seems designed to protect Israel from any consequences."
Rajagopal noted that many buildings in Gaza have been destroyed as a result of the attacks, stating that evaluations based on satellite data and field reports show that more than 70% of homes across Gaza have been destroyed or heavily damaged and rendered uninhabitable.
Rajagopal stated that data for areas like Khan Yunus and others in southern Gaza indicates that 82 to 84 percent of these areas may have been completely destroyed. Rajagopal, using the expression "(In Gaza) We're talking about destruction on a scale you haven't seen in other conflicts," said that although there have been destructions due to conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, they have not reached the level seen in Gaza.
Rajagopal emphasized that the homes in Gaza were not only destroyed by bombing or heavy artillery attacks but also highlighted that Israeli forces, after seizing the area they bombed from the air, came and destroyed homes and public buildings.
Rajagopal stated that the reconstruction of Gaza would be very difficult and would take a long struggle, mentioning that the reconstruction of other countries destroyed during conflicts took years.
Rajagopal continued, "After World War II, it took almost a year just to clear the rubble in Rotterdam, which was destroyed. How long will it take to clean up the rubble in Gaza alone? The construction of Rotterdam took about 20 years under conditions where there were no conflicts and under the most ideal circumstances. You must be prepared for significant investment of resources and time for reconstruction. Secondly, conditions must be ensured for sustainable peace in the region for reconstruction to take place. Otherwise, meaningful progress in reconstruction cannot be expected."
