ガザで「ジェノサイド」 国連特別報告者指摘に支持相次ぐ 人権理

【ジュネーブＡＦＰ＝時事】国連人権理事会からパレスチナ自治区の特別報告者に任命されているフランチェスカ・アルバネーゼ氏は２６日の理事会で、イスラエルが同自治区ガザ地区で実行している軍事作戦は「ジェノサイド（集団殺害）行為」に当たるとの持論を重ねて表明した。それを受け、アラブ諸国や中南米諸国から支持する声が相次いだ。（写真は国連人権理事会で発言するフランチェスカ・アルバネーゼ特別報告者。スイス・ジュネーブで）
　アルバネーゼ氏は、「ガザにおける（イスラエルの）ジェノサイドの意思は明々白々であり、われわれは目を背けてはならず、立ち向かい、防ぎ、罰しなければならない」と主張。各国に対し、対イスラエル武器禁輸と制裁措置を呼び掛けた。
　それに対しパキスタンの代表はイスラム協力機構（ＯＩＣ）を代表し、「（イスラエル）軍はハゲワシのように（ガザ南部）ラファを取り囲み、ヨルダン川西岸では強欲にも土地侵略を続けている」とし、武器禁輸・制裁への支持を表明した。
　またエジプト代表はアラブ諸国を代表して、イスラエルは「ガザを構造的、計画的に攻撃し、人が住めないようにしようとしている」と非難した。
　イスラエルと後ろ盾の米国の代表は欠席した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/03/27-18:51）

The UN expert who concluded Israel was committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip received broad support at the United Nations on Tuesday, with countries speaking up to back her and her report.
Francesca Albanese, the special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, told the UN Human Rights Council that countries should impose an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel.
Expanding in person on her report released on Monday, Albanese said Israel was characterising the entire Gazan population as targetable, killable and destroyable, and had ostentatiously laid bare its genocidal intent to rid Palestine of Palestinians.
Dozens of diplomats, mostly representing Arab and Muslim countries but also Latin America, took the floor to defend her mandate and her work.
Pakistan, speaking for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, backed her call for sanctions and an arms embargo.
We commend your courage in documenting... acts amounting to genocide in Gaza, Islamabad's representative said.
The occupation force's dangerous and ruthless push for a final solution to the Palestinian question is plain for all to see, as its forces encircle Rafah like vultures and its ravenous land grab continues unabated in the West Bank.
Egypt, speaking for Arab group countries, affirmed their support for Albanese's mandate and said they were gravely concerned about Israel's structured and systematic attack to make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable.
And Qatar, on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, thanked Albanese for her report and demanded the international community put an end to genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli war machinery.
- 'Erasure' -
In her speech, Albanese told the top UN rights body that Israel had destroyed Gaza.
When genocidal intent is so conspicuous, so ostentatious, as it is in Gaza, we cannot avert our eyes: we must confront genocide, we must prevent it and we must punish it, she said.
The genocide in Gaza is the most extreme stage of a long-standing settler-colonial process of erasure of the native Palestinians.
Special rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the Human Rights Council, although they do not speak on behalf of the UN.
In response, Russia said it was horrified by Israel's military operation that had seen civilian infrastructure targeted while China said it was was ready to facilitate peace talks.
The European Union called for proper and independent investigations on all allegations and while appalled by the civilian death toll it recognised Israel's right to self-defence.
- 'One-sided narrative' -
Albanese's speech concluded to applause in the chamber. Israel was not present, nor was its chief ally the United States.
Israel has long been harshly critical of Albanese, and on Monday immediately rejected her report as an obscene inversion of reality.
The United States called her mandate biased against Israel.
In the rights council on Tuesday, the only firm support for such positions came from non-governmental organisations.
The World Jewish Congress said Albanese's mandate seeks to entrench divisions and a one-sided narrative instead of pursuing a balanced and inclusive approach.
The European Union of Jewish Students said Albanese's resignation is imperative for the council to retain any credibility on issues concerning Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The bloodiest ever Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory campaign against Hamas has killed at least 32,400 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the territory.