AhlulBayt News Agency: The Gaza People's Tribunal has wrapped up its final session in Istanbul, Turkey, presenting extensive evidence of what it describes as Israel’s systematic and technologically advanced genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The closing statement was delivered on Sunday after four days of public hearings, during which international legal experts, scholars, and witnesses shared documentation and testimonies of alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Founded in London in November 2024, the tribunal follows the legacy of the Russell Tribunal, which was established during the height of U.S. military aggression in Vietnam.
Professor Christine Chinkin, who chaired the jury, formally announced the tribunal’s conclusions, summarizing the evidence and findings compiled since its inception.
The jury condemned Israel’s ongoing actions as genocide and listed the crimes committed against Palestinians. It emphasized that the genocide neither began in October 2023 nor will it end with a ceasefire.
The jury stated that the destruction of civilian infrastructure—including homes, schools, hospitals, cultural and religious sites, farmland, and ecosystems—alongside the use of starvation, denial of medical care, and forced displacement, are deliberate tools of collective punishment and genocide.
These acts, the tribunal concluded, cannot be justified by any military objectives.
Chinkin explained that the jury examined a wide range of evidence, including oral and written testimonies, research papers, and analytical reports. Personal narratives highlighted the intense physical and psychological suffering endured by Palestinians, forming the basis of the tribunal’s conclusions.
She emphasized that the tribunal was created in response to the persistent lack of accountability and the ongoing perpetration of genocide in Gaza.
Chinkin asserted that genocide must be recognized, documented, and challenged, warning that impunity enables continued violence across the globe.
“Genocide in Gaza is a concern for all humanity,” she declared. “When governments remain silent, civil society must raise its voice.”
The jury also accused Western governments—especially the United States and its allies—of complicity in Israel’s actions through their provision of weapons, intelligence, military aid, and economic partnerships.
Silence and inaction in the face of genocide were described as moral failures and breaches of international legal responsibilities.
The tribunal also implicated non-state actors, including biased media outlets, academic institutions, and tech companies whose infrastructure supports Israeli military operations.
It criticized international organizations, particularly the United Nations, for failing to prevent or punish atrocities, while praising the efforts of the UN Human Rights Council’s special procedures and rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
The tribunal documented crimes such as starvation and famine caused by the intentional denial of food and water and the destruction of Gaza’s food system.
It highlighted the systematic targeting of healthcare facilities and medical personnel under occupation as severe violations. Journalists covering the genocide were reportedly arrested, targeted, or killed.
The tribunal’s conclusions are based on international legal frameworks, including the Genocide Convention, human rights treaties, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the moral principles of justice. The jury also reaffirmed the Sarajevo Declaration adopted in May 2025.
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