UN Gaza War Crimes Inquiry Members Resign Amid Calls for Commission Renewal
Top UN investigators step down after landmark report accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza, citing personal reasons and the need for fresh leadership.
Watan-On Tuesday, the members of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory submitted their resignations.
The UN Human Rights Council confirmed that Navi Pillay, Chris Sidoti, and Miloon Kothari, who served on the independent commission, had submitted their resignations earlier this month.
According to media reports, the members cited personal reasons, such as age, and expressed the belief that the commission now needs renewal.
In June, the commission had issued a report stating that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza, detailing violations of international law and international crimes committed by all parties from October 7 to December 31, 2023.
The commission also called on Israel to immediately halt its devastating war, which has forced thousands of civilians in Rafah, southern Gaza, to flee to unsafe areas.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has waged a campaign of genocidal warfare in Gaza, including killings, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international appeals and binding orders from the International Court of Justice to stop.
This war, backed by the United States, has resulted in over 197,000 Palestinian casualties, most of them women and children, in addition to over 10,000 missing persons, hundreds of thousands of displaced, and a famine that has claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
