Genocide in Gaza Has Not Ended, Says UN Special Rapporteur Albanese

ISTANBUL: UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese has said that “the genocide has not ended” even as the war in Gaza marks three years. In an interview with Anadolu News Agency, she described the situation on the ground as “catastrophic” and said it would be wrong to call Palestinians merely survivors of genocide, because the destruction continues.
Albanese said that despite the ceasefire, around 70 percent of Gaza remains under Israeli military control, where buildings and infrastructure continue to be demolished. She warned that calling Palestinians “survivors” could create the impression that the danger has passed. She added that conditions are also worsening in the occupied West Bank, citing settlement expansion, evictions and growing Israeli control over Palestinian land as part of the wider problem.
She said the crisis cannot be resolved through diplomatic condemnation alone and that the international community must go much further. She questioned the policies of governments that support Israel and criticized European countries’ reliance on the United States, saying human rights and international law must not be subordinated to political interests.
Background: In her March 2024 report “Anatomy of a Genocide,” Albanese said there were reasonable grounds to believe Israel’s actions in Gaza met the threshold of the crime of genocide. In March 2026, she presented another report to the UN Human Rights Council, “Torture and Genocide,” examining Israel’s detention system and alleged torture of Palestinians since October 7, 2023. In June 2026, the UN’s independent international commission of inquiry said the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in Gaza amounted to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. In September 2026, Albanese raised concerns about rubble clearance in Gaza, saying evidence of alleged international crimes may lie beneath the debris. Palestinian authorities estimate more than 10,000 people may still be buried under rubble.
Figures: Citing Palestinian data, Anadolu reported that more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 175,000 injured in Gaza since October 2023. Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, 1,454 people have been killed and 5,090 injured, according to the same data. The current phase of the war began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, in which Israeli officials say about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Albanese also spoke about US sanctions imposed on her in 2025, which she said have left her unable to use credit cards or receive payments, affecting her professional and family life. She said any future arrangement must make justice, accountability and political rights for Palestinians central.