UN Experts Demand Urgent General Assembly Action to Halt Gaza Famine and Genocide

A group of United Nations human rights experts has issued an unprecedented appeal for an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly, warning that failure to act before the 17 September deadline to demand an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine will deepen what they describe as an unfolding genocide and man-made famine in Gaza.

“Silence and inaction are not an option in the face of mass atrocities,” the experts declared, urging the General Assembly — the UN’s highest deliberative body — to step in where other mechanisms have failed.

Famine and Siege in Gaza

The warning comes after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) formally confirmed famine conditions in Gaza, describing the humanitarian crisis as “intolerable.” The entire population is now at risk of starvation under Israel’s ongoing military operations and blockade.

According to the experts:

• 361 Palestinians have already died from malnutrition, including 130 children.

• 13 deaths, among them 3 children, occurred in just the past 24 hours.

• More than 500,000 people are facing starvation, while over 1 million displaced Palestinians are crammed into Gaza City amid continuing military advances.

“The horrors of death by starvation will intensify if Israel is not stopped,” the experts said. “Have State authorities become so numb to these numbers — so desensitised, once again, to the systematic breaches of our collective moral and legal obligations?”

Starvation as a Weapon of War

The experts described the situation as a deliberately engineered famine, accusing Israel of turning hunger into a weapon of war by obstructing humanitarian aid. They pointed to the denial of food, water, medicine, and shelter, as well as repeated attacks on civilians at aid distribution points and mass forced displacements.

“A State responsible for creating genocidal conditions aimed at destroying Palestinians in Gaza as a group by also starving them cannot and shall not be entrusted to control access, distribution, or supervision of humanitarian aid,” they said.

They reminded Member States that under international humanitarian law, occupying powers are obligated to guarantee the survival of the population under their control. “This is precisely what Israel is not doing,” they added.

Deadly Attacks at Aid Distribution Sites

The experts highlighted widespread violence against Palestinians gathering for aid. They reported that:

• Over 2,000 Palestinians have been killed at distribution points in recent months.

• Around 70% of these deaths occurred in areas linked to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

• Victims include women and children, with incidents involving indiscriminate or targeted fire.

• Several Palestinians have also been forcibly disappeared from distribution sites.

They argued that reliance on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation “constitutes a blatant violation of Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention” and has facilitated international crimes.

Call for Decisive General Assembly Action

Stating that existing mechanisms have “utterly failed,” the UN experts called for an emergency session of the General Assembly under the “Uniting for Peace” resolution (377 A-V), which allows the Assembly to act when the Security Council is blocked.

Their recommendations include:

• Demanding unrestricted humanitarian access through all border crossings under direct UN oversight.

• Suspending dangerous mechanisms that have led to deaths at aid sites.

• Urging Mediterranean states to deploy emergency naval missions carrying humanitarian supplies.

• Authorizing UN-led international humanitarian convoys with full oversight over aid entry and distribution.

• Demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

• Securing the release of all arbitrarily detained Palestinians and Israelis.

“The General Assembly must act without delay to stop the machinery of death,” the experts said, stressing that UN credibility is on the line.

Accountability and the Role of the International Community

The experts reiterated that Israel must be held accountable for creating conditions that amount to genocide and famine. They warned that any further delay would not only prolong Palestinian suffering but also render the international community complicit in grave violations of humanitarian law.

“The situation in Gaza is intolerable and unconscionable,” they concluded. “The General Assembly must uphold its duty to protect civilians, enforce international law, and guarantee that life-saving assistance reaches Gaza without obstruction or delay. Anything less is complicity.”