Declare Gaza a genocide, hundreds of staff urge UN human rights chief

Hundreds of employees of the United Nations' leading human rights agency have backed an internal letter telling its leadership to declare Israel's offensive in Gaza a genocide.

- Jason Burke

The 1,100-word letter, which also calls on UN member states to suspend arms sales to Israel, was signed by about a quarter of the 2,000 staff of the Geneva- and New York-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

It says Israel's offensive in Gaza meets the legal threshold of genocide and that this means "arms sales, transfers and related logistical or financial support to Israeli authorities" constitute a clear breach of international law by all involved.

OHCHR employees said they were frustrated with the failure of the agency's head, Volker Türk, to "move beyond condemning Israel".

"The messaging has been the same for almost two years," said one member of staff who signed the letter. "Criticising Israel is not enough. He needs to be saying exactly what steps member states need to take to meet their obligations to prevent genocide and very firmly pointing out the legal consequences for leaders, officials and private businesses if they don't."

Another staff member praised Türk's criticism of Israel for grave breaches of international law and apparent war crimes but said that the decision to avoid clearer public statements about genocide was "a political not a legal choice".