An expert has cautioned that the violence in Israel shows no signs of stopping, even after a UN-commissioned investigation concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the conflict-ridden Gaza region.
According to international law, there are five recognized genocidal acts, and the recent study found that Israel has perpetrated four of these atrocities against the Palestinians in Gaza. These include killing members of the group, obstructing births, causing severe mental and physical harm, and purposefully creating conditions aimed at their destruction.
Israel has rejected the report, dismissing its conclusions as “misleading and untrue” and asserting that “Hamas is the entity that sought genocide in Israel – with the killing of 1,200 people, sexual assaults, burning of families, and openly expressing its intent to exterminate every Jew.”
The head of the commission, Navi Pillay, a former UN human rights leader, stated, “It is evident that there is a deliberate effort to eradicate the Palestinians in Gaza through actions that meet the standards outlined in the Genocide Convention.”
Pillay also mentioned that “Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have incited acts of genocide according to the commission.”
In response to the report, Professor Anthony Glees, an expert in international relations from the University of Buckingham, expressed to the Mirror: “This UN Commission of Inquiry report, led by Navi Pillay, a highly esteemed South African legal expert, is a damning indictment of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, described by Netanyahu as ‘a revenge war’ and by Gallant as a ‘war against animals’.”
Despite the “damning” revelations, Professor Glees doubted that the report would alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the short term, indicating that “justice” for Gaza’s people may come “much too late.”
“The Commission’s findings will not have an immediate impact on the Gaza conflict given the current global situation,” the expert remarked, highlighting that in the long run, the report’s significance is likely to be acknowledged. “Justice may be delayed, but it will eventually prevail, though unfortunately, it may not benefit the ordinary people of Gaza at present.”
Professor Glees, who previously advised on UK Nazi War Crimes investigations, mentioned that Israel is likely to disregard the report and continue with its actions, as it feels immune to international pressure and may ignore the report’s conclusions.
The expert noted that while most acknowledge Israel’s right to combat Hamas terrorists, Israel’s approach has been to target all Palestinians in Gaza instead of focusing solely on the terrorists, leading to accusations of war crimes and potential genocide as highlighted in the UN report.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Professor Glees emphasized that the report aligns with the distressing scenes witnessed globally through media coverage, indicating a bleak outlook for ending the conflict.