“This Is Not a Ceasefire—It’s a Slowing of Israel’s Genocide and Starvation Campaign” says UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

unofficial summary 

Briefing by Mr. Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food at the 421st meeting of the UN Palestinian Rights Committee

New York, 5 February 2025: I recently delivered my report to the Third Committee of the General Assembly this past October [2024] on the issue of starvation, with an emphasis on the Palestinian people’s food sovereignty. I have been tracking the war in Gaza since October 2023, when Israel announced its intent to starve Gaza’s civilians on October 9th. On October 20th, 2023, together with several colleagues and other mandate holders, we were among the first to raise the alarm about the risk of genocide in Gaza within the UN system. My presentation is based on my report, my work, and my direct interactions with people in Gaza, as well as with various stakeholders and governments.

It is important to consider the ceasefire, as emphasized by Ambassador Mansour and a colleague from UNRWA, yet politically this is not a true ceasefire. Israel is using it to slow down its genocide through a starvation campaign. On October 6th, 2023, Gaza had been under a 23-year blockade, with 50% of civilians already food insecure and 80% dependent on humanitarian aid. My report addressed how Israel could starve 2.3 million Palestinians so quickly and completely—marking the fastest starvation campaign in modern history. To answer that, I revisited the origins of the State of Israel. The founding document of UNRWA made it clear that one purpose of the UN was to prevent the starvation of the Palestinian people—a mandate dating back to 1948.

While a ceasefire, recovery, and reconstruction are important, we must ensure that people in Gaza—and Palestinians more broadly, including those in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and within Israel—no longer face the risk of starvation and genocide. The International Court of Justice has recognized this risk, and the International Criminal Court has issued warrants on the crime of starvation against Netanyahu and former Minister Galant. We must secure the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

Before discussing a two-state solution, consider that even if a recognized and established State of Palestine were created, it would still be adjacent to the State of Israel—the very state that created conditions of starvation and genocide. Therefore, we must focus on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly the right of return and the right to self-determination. These rights are essential for any future political negotiations and are too often overlooked in UN discussions.

What is at stake are the rights of the Palestinian people and the integrity of the international legal order. Israel has attacked Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and within Israel with unprecedented violence; it has also destroyed food systems and created long-lasting conditions of hunger. Moreover, Israel has targeted the UN itself—attacking peacekeepers in Lebanon and killing a record number of UN staff in Gaza, including humanitarian workers. The human rights system and mandate holders focused on Gaza and Palestine have all been targeted. Israel even declared the Secretary-General persona non grata several months ago. In a recent meeting in New York, several ambassadors stated that when Israel attacks the UN, it is attacking everyone.

Over the past 15 months, we have seen that without the support of allies such as the United States and Germany, Israel would not be able to implement its starvation campaign and commit genocide. Recently, the previous U.S. administration stepped away from international law by abandoning internationally recognized legal language. Now, the current U.S. administration is not only retreating from international law but also withdrawing support from the UN, defunding UNRWA, threatening to defund UNESCO, and exiting the Human Rights Council. The international legal order and the UN itself are at risk. The tools and policies developed to support the Palestinian people’s liberation—their right to return and self-determination—are the same tools needed to rebuild international law and the UN system.

I also want to commend the governments that have formed the Hague Group, comprising Senegal (as chair), Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, and South Africa. This group reaffirms their commitment to implementing ICJ resolutions and ICC decisions, beginning with the ICJ decision declaring Israel’s occupation illegal and the related General Assembly resolution. I invite other countries committed to international law to join this group. What is at stake is not only Palestine but the global order itself.

As the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, I have been closely monitoring this issue—not only in New York but also in Geneva and Rome, working with Rome-based agencies focused on food and agriculture. I have many colleagues eager to work with the committee and the General Assembly to advance these points.

Thank you.