UN Staff Urge Recognition of Gaza War as Genocide

Hundreds of staff members at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are urging the head of the agency, Volker Türk, to explicitly characterize the war in the Gaza Strip as an ongoing genocide.

In a letter, the staff argue that the legal criteria for genocide are met, citing the scale and nature of the violations.

The letter emphasizes the UN's moral responsibility to denounce acts of genocide, referencing the agency's failure to stop the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Israel rejects the accusations of genocide, citing its right to self-defense following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and has led to famine.

UN officials have stated that it is up to international courts to determine genocide. South Africa has brought a case against Israel to the International Court of Justice.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated that the situation in Gaza has shocked everyone and that there are internal discussions on how to proceed.