U.N. Staff Urge Turk to Label Gaza Conflict as 'Genocide'

In a significant appeal, hundreds of U.N. staff from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have urged their leader, Volker Turk, to officially designate the ongoing Gaza conflict as an unfolding genocide. This call to action was made through a letter, emphasizing the legal criteria for genocide, citing the conflict's vast scale and severe violations.

The letter, supported by over 500 U.N. employees, places strong moral and legal responsibility on OHCHR to openly condemn genocide, drawing parallels with the 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed over a million lives amid insufficient international intervention. The staff assert that failure to call out genocide risks the credibility of the U.N. itself.

Meanwhile, Israel's Foreign Ministry dismissed the letter, labeling it as baseless amidst accusations of hatred. Despite conflicting views, this internal U.N. plea highlights ongoing international debates over categorizing and responding to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

(With inputs from agencies.)