UN OHCHR Staff Urge Leadership to Call Israel’s Gaza Campaign ‘Genocide’

A substantial group of United Nations human rights staff have submitted an internal letter calling on the leadership of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to formally characterize Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide. The appeal underscores that the evidence now meets the legal threshold and insists that failure to act risks undermining the credibility and integrity of the UN’s human rights mission.
More than 500 staff signed the letter, expressing frustration over what they see as the cautious tone adopted by OHCHR Chief Volker Türk. While Türk has condemned the potential for atrocity crimes and voiced moral indignation, he has consistently refrained from using the term “genocide,” emphasizing that such a legal determination must come from a court.
The letter also calls for the suspension of arms transfers to Israel, arguing that continued military support may violate international law. Signatories invoke the UN’s past failure to act during the Rwandan genocide as a moral warning and argue that silence today would repeat history.
Meanwhile, Israel firmly rejects genocide allegations, framing its actions as defensive measures following the October 2023 Hamas attacks. Legal proceedings, including South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice, are ongoing, with final judgments expected no earlier than 2027. Beyond the call to publicly acknowledge genocide, staff emphasize that labeling the conflict accurately is essential to galvanize appropriate international responses and to uphold the UN’s role as a guardian of human rights.

Sources: The Guardian, Reuters