Lawyer Who Found Israel Is Committing Genocide Wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a former UN human rights chief who led the commission that found Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. 

Navi Pillay, who was born in South Africa under apartheid, won the 2026 award in recognition of a long career defending human rights, the Nobel committee said. 

That includes her work defending Nelson Mandela and chairing the 2025 UN commission of inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory. 

“In historic international court cases, she has shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence,” the committee said. “Her independence, expertise and steadfastness have made her one of the most respected international jurists of our time.”

The committee said it had been unable to contact Pillay, who serves as a judge at the UN’s international court of justice, before announcing her win on Friday morning. 

When colleagues at the Nuremberg Forum told the 85-year-old the news, Pillay joked: “Is it true? Being a lawyer and a judge, I still want to verify it.”

She also joked: “If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump,” a reference to the fact last year’s winner, María Corina Machado, gave her winner’s medal to the US president. 

The Israeli foreign ministry said the choice to award the Nobel to Pillay was “a grotesque weaponisation of an award to legitimise anti-Israel hatred and prejudice”.

The 2025 UN inquiry found statements by Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Isaac Herzog sufficient to establish genocidal intent. The report recommended that the international criminal court consider amending arrest warrants for Israeli officials to include genocide charges.