SAFTU Welcomes UN Commission's Historic Findings on Israel's Genocide in Gaza

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has unequivocally welcomed the groundbreaking report from the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which has concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

A protest in South Africa where people demonstrate in support of Gaza following the UN report on genocide in Gaza

 This authoritative UN finding, released on 16 September 2025, represents a pivotal moment in the global fight for justice and human rights.

Chaired by renowned South African jurist Navi Pillay, the three-member panel determined that Israel has perpetrated four of the five genocidal acts outlined in the 1948 Genocide Convention.

 These include the killing of Palestinians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction, and imposing measures to prevent births within the group. 

The report, spanning 72 pages, draws on exhaustive investigations from 7 October 2023 to 31 July 2025, citing explicit statements by Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as evidence of genocidal intent.

"The UN report confirms what humanity already knows: Israel is committing genocide," declared SAFTU in a statement.

 "But genocide is not only the act of the perpetrator—it is enabled by the complicity of governments and corporations that trade, invest, and profit while Gaza bleeds."

 SAFTU praised the findings for vindicating South Africa's landmark case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where provisional measures were issued but flagrantly disregarded.

The Commission's analysis highlights Israel's systematic bombardment—equivalent to two nuclear bombs in explosives—starvation tactics, and destruction of essential infrastructure, including Gaza's largest fertility clinic, which annihilated thousands of embryos. 

Over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed, with famine gripping parts of the territory.

SAFTU condemned the United States and several European nations for their unwavering support, linking it to histories of colonialism and imperialism. 

"Their complicity in making Gaza uninhabitable mirrors the logic of conquest and racial domination imposed on the global South for centuries," the federation stated.

In response, SAFTU has called for intensified global action: mass protests by workers, students, and communities; boycotts of complicit corporations; and immediate implementation of UN obligations to halt the genocide and prosecute perpetrators. 

"The ongoing genocide in Gaza is a moral outrage and a legal emergency," echoed Pillay.

 "Israel's authorities at the highest echelons have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for nearly two years."

As Israel's ground offensive in Gaza City escalates, SAFTU urges the international community to act decisively.

 "Solidarity with Palestine is non-negotiable," it affirmed. "End the genocide now!"