UN rapporteur says Israel's use of 'humanitarian camouflage' in Gaza war is a 'deliberate doctrine'

GENEVA

The UN's special rapporteur on Palestine said Wednesday that Israel's use of "humanitarian camouflage" is a "deliberate doctrine."

"The recent assault on Gaza has revealed that 'Humanitarian Camouflage'—using mainly IHL (international humanitarian law) jargon to justify the commission of crimes—is a deliberate doctrine," Francesca Albanese said on X.

Albanese noted that it is "crucial" to understand and recognize its tactics early on to preempt and address it.

"May this be the last series of atrocities—genocide— justified under the guise of 'counter-terrorism,' 'counter-insurgency,' or 'self-defense'," she said.

Israeli attacks killed at least 55 more Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday, bringing the death toll since last year to 42,344, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution that demanded an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed because of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.