UN experts say ceasefire needed as Palestinians at serious risk of genocide

(Patria) - A group of independent United Nations experts have called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, saying time is running out for Palestinians there who are at "serious risk of genocide".

"We remain convinced that the Palestinian people are at grave risk of genocide," the group of experts, which includes seven UN special rapporteurs, said in a statement, Reuters reported.

"We demand a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure aid reaches those who need it most," it added.

Israel's mission to the UN in Geneva called the comments "regrettable and deeply disturbing" and blamed Hamas for civilian deaths.

Asked about the statement by independent experts, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said that only the relevant UN judicial body can determine genocide.

On October 28, UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber wrote to High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, saying: "we are witnessing a genocide unfolding before our eyes, and the Organization we serve appears powerless to stop it."

The UN rights office said Mokhiber's planned retirement took effect this week and that his views were "personal" and did not reflect the office's stance.

Speaking to Reuters after the experts' statement was released, one of its
signatories said that Gaza residents were being deprived of "the most basic elements of life".
"We use the term risk of genocide because the process that is (underway) is absolutely indiscriminate and affects, in this case, more than two million people," said Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. "And in that sense, I think we are actually facing a risk of genocide," he said.