Ramallah: Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, today accused Israel of engaging in a genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people across all territories occupied since 1967. She emphasized that attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank are illusory. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, in an interview with Palestine TV, Albanese stated, "The distinction between Gaza and the West Bank is fictitious. Israel has fragmented Palestinian land and people in such a way that it makes people believe Gaza and the West Bank are separate. But no, they are the same. Israel is targeting Palestinians as a people, and this is what defines the crime of genocide. The genocide that began in Gaza is now spreading to the West Bank, and the Palestinian people are facing the same risks." Albanese further mentioned that while she does not believe Israel wants to kill every Palestinian, the goal appears to be to eliminate the concept of Palestinia n existence in the occupied territories, promoting the expansion of "Greater Israel." She referenced Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich's comments, which proposed three choices for Palestinians: leave, stay and be subjugated, or resist and face death. She described the situation in the West Bank as distinct in intensity and pace, but still a model of genocidal action. "What happened in Gaza after October 7, 2023, was ethnic cleansing, and Israel has been exploiting states of emergency to carry out such acts continuously. The Palestinians know this better than anyone else - they constantly face dispossession and displacement. This is not a conflict or a war; it is a settler-colonial act that must be stopped." On the topic of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Albanese argued that Israel's assaults on the agency aim not at denying the Palestinian right of return but at attacking the largest UN body in the occupied Palestinian territories. She remarked, "Israel wants to eliminate UNRWA because it stands as a symbol of international presence in Palestine, one that rejects Israel's ethnic cleansing policies. The rights of Palestinian refugees, including the right of return and compensation, are protected under international law, not contingent on UNRWA's existence." Albanese clarified that UNRWA cannot be eliminated as it is a UN body safeguarded by international law. "Member states cannot eliminate it by changing laws or cutting funding, as Israel and other countries have attempted. The rights of Palestinian refugees will remain intact because those rights are codified in international law." She also highlighted Israel's violations against the UN, noting the destruction of 70% of UN premises in Gaza and the targeting of UNRWA schools that sheltered refugees. "Israel has violated the UN Charter, and it must be held accountable for its actions. I have called for the suspension of Israel's credentials in the UN because of its disregard for international rules and laws. Israel has destroyed or damaged UN premises, targeted shelters, and accused the UN of terrorism."
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