UN rapporteur: Israeli destruction in Gaza is a massacre of homes and genocide

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, described Israeli practices in the Gaza Strip as a “housing massacre,” stating that Tel Aviv’s continued demolition of homes in the Strip “under flimsy pretexts constitutes a crime of genocide.”

In a press interview on Tuesday regarding the ongoing Israeli violations despite the ceasefire in Gaza, Rajagopal stated that the occupying authorities “continue these actions even during the truce, which has become nothing more than ink on paper.”

He explained that Israel “continues to kill, demolish homes, and prevent the adequate delivery of humanitarian aid, and none of the ceasefire provisions have been effectively implemented.”

He added, “A body should have been established to monitor ceasefire violations and hold parties accountable for breaches. The current situation is not much different from what it was before the ceasefire was signed.”

He continued, “The only difference is the cessation of large-scale airstrikes, while the killing, demolition, and obstruction of aid delivery continue… The area remains under occupation.”

The UN Special Rapporteur noted that Israel justifies its home demolitions in Gaza by claiming they are “military targets,” but in most cases fails to provide any evidence to support this claim.

He added that the demolitions are carried out “widespreadly and indiscriminately,” describing them as “a grave violation of the laws of war and a crime against humanity.”

He emphasized that the situation of displaced people in Gaza is “catastrophic,” noting that more than 288,000 Palestinian families currently lack adequate shelter.

Rajagopal pointed out that Israel has not allowed the entry of the sufficient number of tents and mobile homes it committed to providing under the ceasefire agreement, despite the presence of enough aid trucks waiting at the crossings.