Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for Gaza genocide probe

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded South African jurist Navi Pillay the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, citing her leadership of a UN inquiry that found Israel responsible for genocide in Gaza and her lifelong dedication to international law. The committee praised Pillay's decades-long efforts to strengthen international justice and hold perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide accountable.

Her work has advanced the legal framework for addressing mass atrocities, according to the citation. Pillay's career spans service on South Africa's High Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court.

Landmark rulings on sexual violence

Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin in Durban under apartheid, Pillay began her career challenging racial discrimination and defending opponents of the apartheid system. She later served as a judge on South Africa's High Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, before serving as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Nobel committee specifically highlighted her contribution to landmark rulings establishing that rape and sexual violence could constitute crimes against humanity and genocide. She has also served as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar over allegations of genocide against the Rohingya minority.

UN commission on Gaza

Pillay chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory from July 2021 until her departure in 2025. Presenting the commission's findings to a UN General Assembly committee in October 2025, she said its legal analysis had established Israel's responsibility for genocide in Gaza.

"We concluded that the State of Israel is responsible for the commission of four genocidal acts in Gaza with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, as such," she said. "The Commission also found that the Israeli President, Prime Minister and former Defence Minister have incited the commission of genocide," she added.

Rule of law and peace

The Nobel committee emphasized that Pillay's career demonstrated how international legal institutions prevent conflict and secure accountability. "This year's laureate has significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law," the committee stated.

"In awarding this year's Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wants to remind the world that the rule of law -- national and international -- underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace," it said. "Peace requires justice."