NEW YORK CITY: Two years into the war in Gaza, a landmark report from the UN Commission of Inquiry has shaken the international community. For the first time, a UN body has formally concluded that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.
As diplomatic activity intensifies ahead of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the report is dominating closed-door briefings, drawing attention from ambassadors, journalists and diplomats alike. Many are calling it a watershed moment in the decades-old conflict.
Palestinians watch as the Mhanna tower collapses amid heavy smoke, during an Israeli strike in the Tal El-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City on September 14, 2025. (AFP)
Speaking to Arab News from Geneva, the commission’s chair, Navi Pillay — a former UN high commissioner for human rights and former president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda — offered not only legal clarity but moral urgency.
Commenting just two days after the report’s release, she reflected on its reception, the obligations of states and why the world can no longer afford to remain silent.
