UN Expert Warns of Global Complicity in Gaza Genocide, Calls for Sanctions on Israel

In a scathing address to the United Nations General Assembly, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has warned that Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza amounts to a genocide—enabled and sustained by a vast, international system of political, economic, and military complicity. Her new report, titled "Gaza Genocide: A Collective Crime", lays out detailed evidence of systemic support for Israel from powerful Third States and urges the global community to act immediately to end impunity and protect international law.

Albanese, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, delivered her address virtually from Cape Town, South Africa, after being barred from entering the United States due to sanctions imposed on her by the U.S. government. Her report and remarks mark one of the most forceful UN condemnations of Israel's military actions in Gaza and the broader international response to it.

A Crime Enabled by the International Community

According to Albanese, the genocidal destruction in Gaza is not the result of a rogue regime operating in isolation, but rather part of a larger global system of impunity and support that enables such crimes. The report states:

"International law is clear: States must neither aid nor assist in the internationally wrongful acts of others, and must prevent and punish international crimes."

Albanese argued that states providing military, financial, and diplomatic support to Israel are not only violating their legal obligations but are also contributing to the commission of crimes against humanity and genocide. She called on all states to immediately suspend military, economic, and diplomatic relations with Israel until its violations cease.

Military Support: Arming a Genocidal Campaign

Albanese's report outlines how 26 states, led by the United States and Germany, have played a critical role in supplying over 90% of Israel's arms imports. Intelligence-sharing agreements and arms trade deals have continued even as Israel escalated its attacks in Gaza. Many of these weapons have been tested during operations in Palestinian territories, with some states purchasing these systems post-conflict—a practice Albanese describes as "profiting from war crimes."

Even beyond direct weapons supply, dual-use technologies, military components, and surveillance equipment have found their way into Israel's arsenal, often through indirect trade channels or multinational corporate deals.

Trade and Economic Ties: Financing War Through Commerce

Between 2022 and 2024, Israel exported over $474 billion worth of goods, including electronics, pharmaceuticals, energy, and minerals, much of which helped finance its military operations. The report highlights that:

• One-third of these exports went to the European Union.

• North America, as well as a number of Arab States, have expanded trade and investment.

• Only a handful of countries have marginally reduced trade during the period of intensified violence.

This economic normalization, Albanese argued, has buttressed Israel's apartheid and settler-colonial regime, while emboldening further atrocities.

Weaponisation of Aid and the Collapse of Protection

Albanese condemned the manipulation of humanitarian aid, accusing Israel and its allies of turning humanitarian assistance into a tool of control and coercion.

"One of the most sadistic aspects I have witnessed is the weaponisation of aid," she said.

From targeting UNRWA operations to restricting the entry of food, water, and medical supplies, Albanese stated that humanitarian channels have been subordinated to Israeli and U.S. political agendas. As a result, she argued, the UN's protective role in Gaza has been severely undermined, leaving millions exposed to famine, disease, and indiscriminate violence.

Ideological Warfare: Dehumanization and Propaganda

Albanese warned that the narrative framework used by Western governments has helped facilitate genocide by dehumanizing Palestinians. She criticized how leaders have repeatedly invoked Israel's right to "self-defence" while ignoring or minimizing the vast civilian toll.

"Western leaders have echoed Israel's propaganda — reviving colonial tropes that cast Palestinians as less than human," she said. "By framing Gaza's destruction as a battle of civilisation against barbarism, they have erased the distinction between civilians and combatants."

This ideological cover, she added, is a crucial component of the genocide, allowing states to maintain political and economic ties with Israel while avoiding accountability.

Silence of the Global South and the Fading UN Order

In a surprising rebuke, Albanese expressed disappointment at the passivity of many nations in the Global South, particularly on the African continent, which has a history of colonial resistance.

"I am also surprised by how little too many in the Global Majority — including across Africa — have done to confront this genocide," she said.

While South Africa has taken a leading role by bringing a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide, only 14 countries have joined the legal proceedings, and just 13 are part of the "Hague Group," the main diplomatic initiative aiming to end the conflict.

Call to Action: A New Global Order Based on Justice

Albanese concluded with a warning and a vision: the survival of the United Nations itself depends on upholding its founding principles of justice, human dignity, and accountability.

"This is not only about Palestine. It is about the survival of the United Nations according to its core values and norms."

She called for a new multilateralism, rooted not in political expediency but in human rights, law, and dignity for all peoples. Without meaningful action, Albanese cautioned, the international system risks becoming complicit in one of the gravest crimes of the 21st century.