Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, told FRANCE 24 that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in its war against Hamas.
"The risk of genocidal violence expanding to the West Bank and East Jerusalem is there and it's in plain view," said Albanese. "Genocidal pronouncements have been made against the Palestinians in the West Bank."
As the special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, Albanese issued a report in late March to the UN Human Rights Council in which she stated that there were clear indications that Israel had violated three of the five acts listed under the UN Genocide Convention in its war on Gaza.
"This is one of the most critical cases of genocide, a tragedy foretold, because of the intent to eliminate the Palestinians with all means available – be it transferring them or neutralising them or segregating them ... The situation today in Gaza cannot be analysed or qualified otherwise than as a genocide. I have not seen a genocide where the intent was so ostentatious and vindicated over and over," Albanese told FRANCE 24.
Israel has deliberately distorted the basic tenets of international law, such as the distinction between civilians and combatants, the principle of proportionality and the principles of precaution, she said.
"Israel has declared safe zones through and through ... and Palestinians are bombed and killed and maimed in areas that are declared as protected areas, as areas of no hostility."
She rejected accusations by Israel, the US, France and Germany that she was biased and had not been clear enough in her condemnations of Hamas's actions in the October 7 attacks on Israel.
She stressed that she "never denied or downplayed crimes or justified the crimes that Hamas or other armed groups have committed on the 7th of October, rather the contrary".
"What I said is that history doesn’t start on October 7 and Western governments have conveniently turned a blind eye to the horrible situation the Palestinians have been enduring under Israeli rule. How many October 7ths have the Palestinians endured?"
Asked whether Hamas was currently committing crimes in Gaza, Albanese said, "Absolutely. No question about it ... but the question is the response to October 7 should have been justice."
Click on the videoplayer to watch the full interview.
