Mainstream WeeklyThe recent investigations by an Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Territory of Palestine by a leading body of jurists under the patronage of the United Nations (UN), led by former Chief Justice of Odisha High Court, Justice S. Muralidharan to investigate human rights abuses and violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws in three areas viz Occupied Palestinian territory, which is Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem and Israel itself, has attempted to draw once again the attention of the world to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, nine months after the supposed cease fire at the instance of the President of the United States of America Donald Trump. This Commission was created by the Human Rights Council resolution.
Trump, a proxy of Zionist Benjamin Netanyahu has closed his eyes to Gazans the moment he unilaterally announced ceasefire to the two years long relentless genocidal assault on Gaza, target killing more than 20,000 children and maiming another 40,000 including those just born to a few months old, even little toddlers, after the so called ceasefire, turning his attention at Bibi’s bidding instead to attack Iran along with Israel, within months of that sham of a ceasefire and after purportedly fully destroying Iran’s military power, 28 February this year the two resumed a more devastating assault on Iran. The two war criminals could barely achieve their claimed target, at least Netanyahu was evidently unconvinced and realising his inability to match Iran’s fire power, it turned its attention to aggression on next door Lebanon. But that’s for another day.
It is evident now that Trump had no concern whatsoever for the hapless Palestinians or to ensure a real cessation of Israeli hostilities against Palestinian children women and infirm, all of whom Netanyahu and his blood thirsty right wing leaders publicly pronounce as "enemies.’
The crux of the matter is that the world totally forgot about Gaza and the hapless Palestinians whom the brute Zionist force continued to obliterate from the Palestinian land. Till this Commission, including former Supreme Court judge of Zambia Justice Lawerence Mumba and Australian Human Rights activist and lawyer Chris Sidoti teamed up to show the world how the so called ceasefire has not made a wee of a difference to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF)who pointedly targeting little children, some orphans roaming around to collect some food, some collecting firewood and some even being breast fed by their starving mothers.
The Commission report states that more than 20,000 thousand children were killed by Israeli soldiers and another 40,000 grievously injured, incapacitated for life since October 7, 2023 when Israel began its total destruction of the Gaza strip, continuing even in these nine months after the supposed ceasefire. As many as 55,000 children orphaned with no orphanages left to provide them shelter or succour. "There is solid evidence to show how Israeli forces are specifically targeting children," said Justice Muralidharan in a recent interview to Amit Baruah for the Frontline magazine.
Trump does not mention even once the systematic Zionist crimes on the Gazans. And the leaders of West European nations including Canada and Australia who seemed to be outraged by Zionist genocide in Gaza, seemed to be content merely by the announcement of ceasefire, turning a blind eye to the continued persistent and deliberate mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza. It is in this context that Justice Muralidharan’s report assumes even greater importance to remind the world that Gazans’ suffering has not reduced in anyway even after the so-called ceasefire. "The question we’re asked where ever we go is ’what next?’ We don’t need any more evidence to demonstrate the intent to destroy the Palestinians as a group. So, it completely confirms the Genocide report submitted by us in September, 2025. Many countries are ratifying parties to this report," said the judge with Baruah remarking "including the Israeli Child Rights Convention" and the Judge stating "Absolutely".
"We have mentioned eleven companies of the Israeli forces who have committed these genocide activities. We have not named the individual soldiers. But we have the names. Any country ready to investigate the roles of these individual soldiers, commandants, battalions, the Commission is willing to share it.. On the Israeli defence force you have dual nationals who serve. There are more than 12,000 Americans who are serving there, you have 9000 plus British and French nationals who are serving. So, as many as 16, 17 countries have their nationals serving in their defence forces...In exercise of universal jurisdiction. I am a treaty party and the perpetrator is in my territory. I am obliged to do this (act against such individuals)...We can’t have children being slaughtered with the whole world watching....Now you have the Board of Peace. It’s a parallel body created by President Donlad J. Trump, This Board of Peace submitted its report to the Security Council in May this year claiming that ’situation in Gaza has vastly improved’. Every day there are strikes... When you speak to the western nations the European Union, they say we have our compulsions. Same is true of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC)...We have made recommendations of stoppage of arms supplies to Israel and this is an area that India should look at. I really wish somebody in the MEA studies this report carefully...Certainly India should not go down in history as having contributed to the genocide in Gaza."
But will India or other 16-17 nations whose men are serving in the IDF heed to the alarming call of this report? I doubt and the reason is not far to look because the damning Report of the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, sub titled: ’Gaza genocide: a collective crime’, states in its summary, "The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a collective crime, sustained by the complicity of influential third States that have enabled long-standing systematic violations of international law by Israel. Framed by colonial narratives that dehumanize the Palestinians, this live-streamed atrocity has been facilitated through third States’ direct support, material aid, diplomatic protection and, in some cases, active participation. It has exposed an unprecedented chasm between peoples and their Governments, betraying the trust on which global peace and security rest. The world now stands on a knife-edge between the collapse of the international rule of law and hope for renewal. Renewal is possible only if complicity is confronted, responsibilities are met, and justice is upheld."
This UN report was submitted even before the investigative report of the International Commission. But has it made any impact to the world and Indian establishment’s conscience? No evidence of it so far.