As 2025 dawns, the world confronts the grim realities of unfulfilled promises of justice and accountability.
Despite decades of legal frameworks, the persistence of genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity underscores a collective failure.
Nowhere is this failure more evident than in Gaza, where 2.3 million Palestinians have endured over 400 days of systematic annihilation.
Recent landmark decisions and findings by international bodies offer hope but also highlight the urgent need for action to end these atrocities.
Since October 2023, Gaza has been subjected to one of the most brutal assaults in modern history.
Entire neighbourhoods have been obliterated by bombs weighing thousands of pounds; civilians, journalists and medical personnel targeted by snipers and drones; and families wiped out by starvation.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
The atrocities in Gaza, described by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese as "genocide as colonial erasure", epitomise this definition.
In her October 2024 report (A/79/384), Albanese detailed how Israel's occupation systematically targets Palestinian identity and existence, describing the use of starvation, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the denial of humanitarian aid as tools of "erasure".
This echoes the findings of the June 19, 2024 report by the UN Commission of Inquiry led by Dr Navi Pillay, which concluded that Israel's actions amount to "intentional and systematic oppression, with genocidal intent".
The International Court of Justice's (ICJ) July 19, 2024 landmark Advisory Opinion reinforced these assessments.
The ICJ also affirmed the responsibility of all states to ensure that Israel ends its occupation and complies with international law.
The decision by ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and minister Yoav Gallant on Nov 21, 2024 is a watershed moment.
The charges — war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide — stem from their direct roles in orchestrating the military operations in Gaza, setting a precedent for justice in other conflict zones.
The atrocities in Gaza bear troubling parallels with the systematic extermination at Auschwitz, where 1.5 million people were killed over three years.
International law provides robust mechanisms to address these crimes. The Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits collective punishment and the targeting of civilians.
The Rome Statute criminalises genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ICJ ruling and the findings of Dr Pillay's commission and Albanese's report reaffirm these principles.
Yet, political inertia and the misuse of veto power at the UN Security Council continue to shield perpetrators.
Moving into 2025, the global community must prioritise justice and accountability.
The ICC must expedite prosecutions, building on its arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
Governments should support the establishment of special tribunals, akin to those for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, to ensure justice for Palestinian victims.
Civil society must intensify documentation of evidence, as seen in initiatives like Centhra's Justice4Palestine, which amplifies the voices of survivors and ensures their experiences are preserved.
Reforming the UN is equally critical.
The UN General Assembly and regional bodies must take collective action to impose sanctions, divestments, and trade restrictions on Israel until it complies with legal obligations.
The precedent set by the global campaign against apartheid South Africa shows that sustained international pressure can dismantle oppressive systems.
As we move into 2025, let this be the year the international community turns words into action, when humanity lives up to moral and legal obligations.
The children of Gaza, the survivors of genocide, and future generations deserve no less.
The writer is chairman of Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra)