Experts from across the Middle East and North Africa have written to the President of the UN General Assembly for action to recognise and declare “Israel’s atrocities during its military assault on Gaza as constituting a genocide in the making.”
The signatories noted in their letter, “As members of the United Nations General Assembly, you have the duty to uphold the UN Charter and fulfill its mandate through the prevention of actions that aim to destroy the existence of a group of people in whole or in part.”
“The events transpiring in Gaza align with the two of criteria outlined in the [UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide], indicating a pressing need for the international community to address this crisis urgently.”
The signatories identified the criteria as “causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group” and “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
They also cited mass killing, forced displacement, deliberate mass starvation, destruction of vital infrastructure and the large volume of children killed, among others, as “clear and unquestionable features of Israel’s genocidal action in Gaza.”
This came as the UN General Assembly is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, to discuss an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”
The last time the General Assembly met on this topic was on October 27, 2023, when 120 countries voted in favour of a Jordanian resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.”
Egypt and Mauritania invoked Resolution 377A (V) to call for an emergency meeting of the General Assembly today, which states that if the Security Council is unable to issue its primary responsibility of maintaining peace, the General Assembly can step in.
Ahead of the vote, the countries will vote on two amendments to the resolution:
A resolution put forward by the US calling to add that members “unequivocally reject and condemn the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting October 7, 2023 and the taking of hostages.”
Austria’s amendment which wants to add that Hamas and other Palestinian groups are holding the captives in Gaza and ensuring the ceasefire takes place immediately.
Ahmed Bedier, president of United Voices for America, says the resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza will likely pass at the UN General Assembly later on Tuesday, but noted that such resolutions are nonbinding.
Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. But as UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday, the assembly’s resolutions “are also very important” and reflect world opinion.
Bedier also reacted to the U.S veto at the Security council.
On Friday, the U,S vetoed a resolution at the Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire despite warnings from the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres that the situation in Gaza had become “untenable.”
“How long are they [the US] willing to continue to go along [with Israel] as the death toll continues to rise, so many thousands of dead children,” Bedier said.
“It’s becoming really embarrassing for the United States,” he added.
Earlier, Richard Gowan, U.N. Director at the International Crisis Group, told a new agency that “with each step, the U.S. looks more isolated from the mainstream of U.N. opinion.”
Gowan noted that the upcoming UNGA resolution would garner more support due to the shift in the “dynamics” ever since October 7, when Israel launched its operations in Gaza.
“The dynamics are different to those in October. The length and intensity of Israel’s operations in Gaza have left many UN members convinced that a ceasefire is essential,” he added.
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