United News of Bangladesh

The United Nations’ special rapporteur for Gaza and the West Bank on Tuesday called on countries worldwide to take immediate action to stop what she described as “genocide” in Gaza. Francesca Albanese made the statement during a two-day conference in Colombia’s capital, where delegates from 30 countries gathered to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and explore ways to pressure Israel to halt its military offensive. Many attending nations have referred to the violence as genocide against Palestinians. “Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel ... and ensure its private sector does the same,” Albanese said. “The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.” The conference, co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa, includes mostly developing countries but also delegations from Spain, Ireland, and China. Israel has dismissed allegations of genocide as an antisemitic “blood libel.” 5 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza while strikes kill 51 Palestinians More than 58,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign in response to a Hamas attack in 2023, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, the U.N. and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable. Analysts remain skeptical about the conference’s influence. “The United States has so far failed to influence Israel’s behavior,” said Sandra Borda, a professor at Bogota’s Los Andes University. “It is naive to think this group of countries can have any influence over Netanyahu’s behavior.” Colombia’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mauricio Jaramillo said the gathering would explore diplomatic and judicial actions against Israel, stating, “This is not just about Palestine... it is about defending international law… and the right to self-determination.”