Navi Pillay, Who Fought for Gaza, Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Darwin, October 09: Navanetham “Navi” Pillay, a South African jurist who led a United Nations investigative commission that described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her role in upholding international law and advocating for justice for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced her name in Oslo, the capital of Norway, on Friday (October 9).

Pillay, 85, is a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. As head of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, she said in a report last year that Israel was responsible for four types of genocidal acts, carried out with the specific intent of destroying Palestinians in Gaza.

Presenting the report to the UN General Assembly, Pillay said Israel had committed these acts with the specific intention of destroying Palestinians in Gaza as a group. She also alleged that Israel’s president, prime minister and former defence minister had incited genocide.

However, the Nobel Committee did not say that the Peace Prize was awarded on the basis of the report and allegations made by the commission led by Pillay concerning genocide in Gaza. Instead, the committee cited her longstanding work to uphold international law and pursue justice for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

From the Fight Against Apartheid to International Courts

Pillay, who is of Indian Tamil descent and was born in South Africa, began practising law in the former Natal Province in 1967. She was the first woman to practise law in the region. She also served as a lawyer for anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela and other activists. Later, she became the first Black woman to serve as a judge of the High Court of South Africa.

In subsequent years, Pillay served at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court and as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Nobel Committee specifically highlighted her role at the Rwanda tribunal, where her work was instrumental in establishing rape and sexual violence as acts that could constitute crimes against humanity and genocide.

She currently serves as a judge at the International Court of Justice in the case concerning allegations of genocide against the Rohingya by Myanmar.

‘International Law Is Now Indispensable’

The Nobel Committee said Pillay had spent decades advocating for international law and accountability for serious international crimes. At a time when the world is facing more wars and conflicts than it has in a long period, the committee stressed that international law is no longer an optional addition to efforts to maintain peace and security, but an essential requirement.

Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the international legal system was under immense pressure and its institutions were also coming under attack. In his view, judges safeguard the fragile boundary between chaos and order.

Reacting to the announcement, Pillay said she initially thought the news might be a joke. She added that, as a lawyer and judge, she wanted to verify the news before accepting it.

Referring to her report on Gaza, Pillay said she had recently submitted a report identifying what was happening there as genocide. Noting that she had been praised for her courage following the report, she questioned why courage should be necessary simply to tell the truth.

Prize Money of 12 Million Swedish Kronor

This year, the Nobel Committee received 287 nominations for the Peace Prize, including individuals and organisations. Potential nominees included the International Space Station, emergency aid workers in Sudan, Ukrainian children’s rights activists and two major international courts.

US President Donald Trump has also repeatedly expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Following the announcement, Pillay jokingly remarked that if the audience applauded a little louder, she might share the prize with Trump.

As the recipient of the award, Pillay will receive 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately $1.2 million.

The prize will be presented to her in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist and Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel.

Source: Al Jazeera