South African jurist and former senior United Nations official Navanethem “Navi” Pillay was named the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, a decision drawing particular attention in Israel because of her prominent role in UN investigations accusing the Jewish state of ‘genocide’ in Gaza.
Pillay previously served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and as a judge at the International Criminal Court. She later chaired the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry investigating Israel and the ‘Palestinian’ territories. In September 2025, the commission published a report concluding that Israel had committed acts of ‘genocide’ in the Gaza Strip. The report also accused senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, of incitement to ‘genocide.’
Israel categorically rejected the commission’s findings, describing them as biased and politically motivated. Israel’s Foreign Ministry further accused the commission’s members of promoting a propaganda narrative that served Hamas.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it selected Pillay for her “efforts to advance peace and international law.”
The official award ceremony is scheduled for December 10 in Oslo, marking the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the prize’s founder.
Alongside the international recognition, Pillay will receive a monetary award of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately $1.2 million. The decision places one of the UN’s most prominent critics of Israel among the recipients of the world’s best-known peace award, despite Israel’s longstanding objections to the commission’s findings and its allegations against Israeli leaders.