UN Experts Criticize Western Support for Israel Following Gaza War, According to Reuters

By Emma Farge

GENEVA – U.N. human rights experts have expressed strong criticism towards primarily Western nations for their continued support of Israel, which they claim is committing genocide in Gaza, potentially leading Israel to become a "pariah" state.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stemming from over 11 months of conflict, has raised significant concerns about the longstanding political and military backing that Western countries, particularly the United States and Britain, provide to Israel.

"Shockingly, in the face of the abyss reached in the Occupied Palestinian Territories…most member states have remained inactive at best, or are actively aiding and assisting Israel’s criminal conduct," said Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the area, during a press conference in Geneva. She reiterated accusations of genocide against Israel.

Israel has refuted these claims, maintaining that it takes measures to minimize civilian casualties and asserts that at least one-third of Palestinian deaths in Gaza are attributed to militants.

Albanese, an Italian lawyer, emphasized that her criticism extends to Western states, as well as some Gulf nations and others.

"I believe it is inevitable for Israel to become a pariah given its continuous, relentless, and vilifying assault on the United Nations, alongside the suffering of millions of Palestinians," she stated, referencing both verbal and military attacks on U.N. facilities in Gaza.

She also raised questions about Israel’s membership in the United Nations, established in 1949, asking, "Should there be a consideration of its membership as part of this organization which Israel seems to have zero respect for?"

In response, Israel’s permanent mission to the U.N. in Geneva condemned Albanese’s remarks, asserting that she is unfit for her position, a sentiment echoed by numerous critics.

Her previous comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict have sparked scrutiny, including criticism from a U.S. ambassador in Geneva, who accused her of employing "antisemitic tropes."

Albanese was joined by three other U.N. independent experts who accused Western countries of hypocrisy and double standards, particularly regarding their vocal condemnation of human rights violations by Russia following its invasion of Ukraine compared to their silence on Israel’s actions in Gaza.

These experts are part of a larger group of independent human rights authorities mandated by the United Nations to report and advise on specific themes and crises. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the U.N. as a whole.