The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday, 9 October 2026, that South African judge and human rights lawyer Navi Pillay had won the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of her sustained efforts to defend human rights and strengthen international law, a year after she chaired a UN inquiry that concluded Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Nobel Committee said the selection of Pillay, 85, recognised her prominent role in entrenching international justice and pursuing those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, praising her courage and integrity in defending the rule of law and human rights.
The award to Pillay comes about a year after the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry she chaired issued a report accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, based on facts related to widespread killings, the blocking of humanitarian aid, forced displacement, and the destruction of civilian and health facilities.
The report held senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responsible for acts and statements the commission considered evidence of an intent to destroy Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Presenting the investigation's findings, Pillay affirmed that responsibility for the crimes committed extends to the highest levels of Israeli leadership, warning of similarities between what is happening in Gaza and the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly regarding the dehumanisation of victims and incitement against them.
The report at the time triggered angry Israeli reactions, with Tel Aviv rejecting its findings and accusing the commission of political bias, while denying the accusations of committing genocide in the Strip.
The commission operates independently within UN human rights mechanisms, and its findings do not constitute a binding judicial ruling or a decision issued by an international court.
Navi Pillay was born in 1941 in the city of Durban in South Africa, to a family of Indian origin, and grew up under the apartheid system before becoming one of the most prominent legal figures defending human rights internationally.
She began her professional career as a lawyer defending victims of racial discrimination, before taking on prominent international judicial and human rights positions, including presiding over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, serving as a judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and then serving as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights between 2008 and 2014.
Pillay played an influential role in developing international legal jurisprudence related to genocide and sexual violence during armed conflicts, along with her contributions to strengthening accountability for international crimes.
She also chaired the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which issued reports addressing violations committed during the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee explained that the prize represents recognition of Pillay's career in defending international legal principles, at a time when the international judicial system faces growing pressures and challenges.
Pillay's win takes on particular significance amid ongoing international controversy over the war on Gaza, especially as the commission she chaired was among the most prominent international bodies to explicitly accuse Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.
Despite Pillay's name being linked to the Gaza report, the Nobel Committee stressed that awarding her the prize came in recognition of her overall career in promoting peace and international law, and not for the report alone.
Pillay is scheduled to formally receive the prize during the annual ceremony held in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on 10 December.
