Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, has sharply criticized Israel for advising its soldiers to conceal their identities online.

This directive, which includes instructions to cover or blur faces in videos, is seen by Albanese as an implicit acknowledgment of potential war crimes committed by Israeli forces.

Albanese labeled the approach by the Israeli military as "shocking," highlighting that rather than prohibiting criminal acts, Israel is essentially providing a guide on how to evade accountability. "Instead of advising its soldiers not to commit crimes, what (Israel) is saying is 'cover your faces or blur your face before posting videos or try to get lawyers,'" she remarked, indicating a disturbing normalization of potential illegal actions by the military.

"This is first of all an admission that crimes might be committed by Israeli soldiers," Albanese stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

She further emphasized the importance of universal jurisdiction as a critical mechanism for justice where all else fails. "Universal jurisdiction is a powerful tool to bring justice where everywhere, everything else has failed," Albanese noted. "And it’s still retributive justice is necessary because it gives a signal to those who exercise power and force that they are not immune from the application of the law."

Universal jurisdiction allows countries to prosecute individuals for grave international crimes like genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, regardless of the crime's location, providing a pathway for justice for Palestinians who have long suffered under occupation.

This critique from a high-ranking UN official underscores the urgent call for international action to ensure accountability and protect human rights in the face of ongoing Israeli military actions in Palestinian territories. (ILKHA)