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At a recent press conference in Geneva, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, sharply criticized Western countries for their steadfast support of Israel. Albanese labeled the situation in Gaza as genocide, which could lead to Israel’s international isolation.
Criticism of Western Countries
According to cursorinfo.The humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip has lasted over 11 months, raising questions about the political and military support for Israel from countries such as the US and the UK, which continue to supply weapons. Albanese noted that most countries either remain inactive or directly facilitate Israel’s criminal actions, despite the catastrophic conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel’s Response
Israel categorically rejects these accusations, asserting that it is taking all possible measures to minimize civilian casualties, as a significant portion of the Palestinian deaths are militants. Israel’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva sharply condemned Albanese’s statements as inadequate and not meeting UN standards.
Position of Other Experts
Francesca Albanese was supported by three other UN independent experts, who also accused Western countries of double standards. They emphasized that Western countries are much more vocally condemning human rights violations by Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine than Israel’s actions in Gaza. These experts are part of a group of independent UN specialists authorized to assess situations in various countries and provide their reports and recommendations. Their views do not reflect the official stance of the United Nations itself.
Israel’s Reaction to Allegations
It is worth noting that in June 2024, Albanese had already attracted attention with statements accusing the Israeli army of using Palestinian Arabs as “human shields.” Israel firmly rejected these accusations, calling them unfair and untrue.
