AhlulBayt News Agency: A former UN human rights chief and head of the Rwanda genocide tribunal has stated that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, drawing comparisons to the atrocities in Rwanda during the 1990s.
In a report released Tuesday by her Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), Navi Pillay, a former South African judge and UN rights chief, asserted that genocide is taking place in Gaza under Israeli occupation.
Pillay accused Israeli leaders, including President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of inciting genocide and said they may eventually face arrest and trial, though she acknowledged justice takes time.
She added that there are disturbing similarities between the mass killings in Rwanda and those in Gaza, particularly in the way targeted populations are dehumanized.
In 1994, Rwanda endured a genocide lasting about 100 days, during which roughly 800,000 people—mainly Tutsis and moderate Hutus—were killed by extremist militias amid deep ethnic and political tensions.
The rapid and brutal nature of the violence shocked the world, and the absence of timely international intervention worsened the crisis.
Pillay said she sees parallels with Gaza, noting that similar methods are being used.
She pointed out that in Rwanda, Tutsis were called “cockroaches,” while Israeli officials have referred to Palestinians as “animals,” fostering a climate where violence seems acceptable.
“All the evidence shows Palestinians are being targeted as a group,” Pillay emphasized, highlighting the collective nature of the attacks.
She described the footage from Gaza—including killings and sexual violence—as deeply disturbing, and said the tactics mirror those used during Rwanda’s genocide.
Despite the difficulties, Pillay expressed hope for justice, likening it to the fall of apartheid in South Africa, which once seemed impossible.
“I never thought apartheid would end in my lifetime,” she reflected.
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