On 26 March 2024, as part of its engagement with the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, Al-Haq delivered an oral intervention under Item 7, during the interactive dialogue on the report of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, titled “Anatomy of a Genocide”.

Welcoming the Special Rapporteur’s report, the oral intervention emphasised the report’s recognition of genocide as a process rather than an isolated act, and noted its rightful conclusion that “Israel’s actions have been driven by a genocidal logic integral to its settler-colonial project in Palestine”. The statement underscored Third States’ deliberate failure to uphold their legal obligations to end and prevent genocide, despite the ICJ’s finding of a plausible genocide in Gaza, and their shameless complicity in fueling Israel’s atrocities, including by objecting to a ceasefire and supplying Israel with arms.

The statement urged the international community to address the root causes of institutionalised violence embedded in Zionist settler-colonialism and apartheid, advocating for immediate action to halt the ongoing Nakba and ensure Palestinian self-determination. Finally, the statement called on States to uphold their legal obligations, including by urgently enacting a ceasefire, imposing arms embargoes, implementing diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel, and ensuring accountability for international crimes committed by Israel.

The following week, on 5 April 2024, the Human Rights Council passed Resolution A/HRC/55/L.30, which called for “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”, demanded Israel to uphold its legal obligations and fully abide by the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice on 26 January 2024, and called upon States to “cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel”.

Al-Haq’s full statement reads as follows:

Madam Special Rapporteur,

“Still alive” are the messages our people in Gaza send to their loved ones, as they endure the world’s first live streamed genocide.

Despite the ICJ’s finding of a plausible genocide in Gaza, many Third States continue not only in failing to end and prevent genocide, but have shamelessly been complicit in feuling Israel’s atrocities, including by objecting to a ceasefire, and supplying Israel with arms.

Madam Special Rapporteur,

Recognising that, and I’m quoting here, “Genocide is a process, not an act”, your report rightly concludes that “Israel’s actions have been driven by a genocidal logic integral to its settler-colonial project in Palestine”.

The international community’s failure to hold Israel accountable for 75 years of Zionist settler-colonial oppression and domination over the Palestinian people, has facilitated the ongoing denial of their right to self-determination and the ongoing genocide –– in an ongoing Nakba.

Your report has acknowledged that “The ongoing Nakba must be stopped”. The root causes of the current institutionalised violence – embedded in Zionist settler-colonialism and apartheid – must be recognised and meaningfully addressed.

States must urgently enact a ceasefire; prevent and end the genocide against the Palestinian people; impose a a two-way arms embargo and diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel, and hold Israeli perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

Thank you.