UN special rapporteur calls for efforts to stop 'genocide' in Palestine

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestine Territories Francesca Albanese said efforts should be made to stop the "ongoing genocide" in Palestine.

Thanking those who stood up against pro-Israeli figures and institutions, she said on X: “Let's stay focused on Palestine, the Palestinians, and let's make sure we stop the ongoing genocide.”

Since the Israeli attacks on Gaza started on Oct.7, 2023, Albanese called for an immediate cease-fire and warned that Palestinians in Gaza were at risk of "mass ethnic cleansing."

On March 26, 2024, Albanese reported to the UN Human Rights Council that she was convinced that Israel's actions in Gaza amounted to genocide.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.

More than 32,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, besides causing mass destruction, displacement, and conditions of famine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which asked Israel to do more to prevent famine in Gaza. It said: “Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine ... but that famine is setting in.”