A senior United Nations human rights official has resigned from his post, levelling the explosive accusation that Israel is committing a 'textbook case of genocide' in its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
In a scathing resignation letter, Craig Mokhiber, a veteran US human rights lawyer who served as the Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned not only Israel's actions but also the failure of Western governments and the UN itself to halt the violence.
The Core Allegations
Mokhiber's letter outlines a harrowing list of charges against the Israeli state. He asserts that the military operation has been characterised by:
- Indiscriminate and targeted attacks on civilian populations, including hospitals, schools, and residential areas.
- The widespread use of massive bombs in dense urban areas, leading to catastrophic casualties.
- The deliberate destruction of entire Palestinian communities and families through aerial bombardment.
- The discovery of mass graves containing hundreds of Palestinians.
- A systematic effort to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from their land.
A 'Systematic Effort to Make Gaza Uninhabitable'
The official goes beyond the immediate violence, accusing Israel of a calculated, long-term strategy. He points to the complete siege that has cut off food, water, medicine, and fuel as evidence of an intent to 'ethnically cleanse' the territory. This, combined with the physical destruction of neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure, constitutes, in his view, a deliberate attempt to render Gaza uninhabitable for its native population.
Western Complicity and UN Failure
Mokhiber reserved fierce criticism for the United States, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, accusing them of being 'wholly complicit in the horrific assault'. He argued that their political, diplomatic, and military support has enabled the violence to continue unchecked.
Furthermore, his resignation is a profound indictment of the United Nations system he served for decades. He declared that the UN is 'failing again' to meet its foundational purpose: to prevent the atrocities of World War II from ever being repeated.
A Call for Solidarity and a Single Democratic State
In concluding, Mokhiber called for a reinvigorated global solidarity movement with the Palestinian people, drawing parallels to the fight against apartheid in South Africa. He advocated for a solution built on a 'single, democratic, secular state' in all of historic Palestine, where Palestinians and Israelis can live together with equal rights.
This grave accusation from a high-ranking insider is set to intensify the already fierce international debate surrounding the conflict, placing immense pressure on world leaders to respond.
