Stop the genocide or witness end of life in Gaza: UN experts warn
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UN experts have warned that "Israel’s" escalating attacks in Gaza, marked by mass civilian casualties, widespread starvation, and the targeting of essential services, amount to potential genocide.
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A man kisses the body of a victim of an Israeli army strike on a restaurant, which killed at least 33 people, as he is taken from the scene to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza on May 7, 2025 (AP)
UN experts warned today that the escalating atrocities in Gaza represent a critical moral turning point, urging states to act immediately to stop the violence or risk witnessing the destruction of Gaza’s Palestinian population, an outcome with irreversible consequences for humanity and the global order.
“While States debate terminology - is it or is it not genocide? - Israel continues its relentless destruction of life in Gaza, through attacks by land, air and sea, displacing and massacring the surviving population with impunity,” the experts stated.
“No one is spared - not the children, persons with disabilities, nursing mothers, journalists, health professionals, aid workers, or hostages. Since breaking the ceasefire, Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians, many daily - peaking on 18 March 2025 with 600 casualties in 24 hours, 400 of whom were children.”
The experts called it "one of the most ostentatious and merciless manifestations of the desecration of human life and dignity."
Mounting death toll, siege tactics, and int'l accountability
The attack has turned Gaza into a desolate scene, with children accounting for over half of all deaths and many still homeless. As of May 4, 2025, the committee of specialists reported approximately 52,535 deaths, with 70% of those being women and children, and 118,491 injuries.
Since "Israel" reneged on the ceasefire, it has restored an even harder siege on Gaza, essentially isolating its inhabitants in misery, famine, and illness.
“Food and water have been cut off for months, inducing starvation, dehydration, and disease, which will result in more deaths becoming the daily reality for many, especially the most vulnerable," the experts noted.
They warned that amid this carnage, Israeli statements that alternate between outright blocking of aid and conditional releases contingent on other strategic goals demonstrate a clear intent to use starvation as a weapon of war.
“These acts, beyond constituting grave international crimes, follow alarming, documented patterns of genocidal conduct.”
The experts urged nations to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive steps to put a stop to the slaughter and hold criminals accountable.
Palestinian self-determination 'non-negotiable'
According to the experts, international laws were established precisely to prevent atrocities of this scale. Yet, despite global protests demanding justice and humanity, these voices are being ignored. "This situation conveys a deadly message: Palestinian lives are dispensable, and international law, if unenforced, is meaningless," they stated.
The experts reaffirmed that the Palestinian right to self-determination is non-negotiable and called on states to take urgent, concrete action to end the ongoing genocide, dismantle apartheid structures, and work toward a future where Palestinians and Israelis coexist in freedom and dignity.
They stressed the need for immediate enforcement of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, they highlighted the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion, which mandates an end to the prolonged occupation by the UN General Assembly’s deadline of September 17, 2025.
Finally, the experts warned that continued political or material support for "Israel", especially through arms transfers and the provision of private military or security services, risks rendering states complicit in genocide and other serious international crimes.
