Nobel Committee Awards 2026 Peace Prize to Navi Pillay

South African jurist Navi Pillay received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize after the Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized her decades of work in international justice, human rights, and the rule of law, drawing criticism from Israel and the United States over her Gaza investigation role.

According to the Nobel Committee, Pillay’s career includes work as a lawyer during apartheid, a judge on South Africa’s High Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court, and the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

Pillay, 85, led an independent expert team commissioned by the U.N. Human Rights Council that examined allegations concerning Israel and Gaza. The team’s findings said, "It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention."

The commission also stated, "responsibility for the atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons." Israel rejected the investigation and its conclusions, according to the source report.

Pillay’s recent work has also included serving as a judge on the International Court of Justice in a case accusing Myanmar of genocide. The United States later imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court over accusations of bias against Washington and Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the award and Pillay’s role in the Gaza inquiry in a post on Truth Social. He described the investigation as a "phony" investigation and said, "Today the Nobel Committee shamed itself beyond repair and demeaned the once great Nobel Peace Prize by giving it to the UN’s Navi Pillay,"

Trump continued his criticism of Pillay’s record and wrote, "She has no credibility in any normal sphere and has never done a thing to foster peace,"

The Norwegian Nobel Committee defended its decision, saying recognition of Pillay was intended to highlight the importance of legal systems in preventing conflict. It said the award reflects her "independence, expertise and steadfastness have made her one of the most respected international jurists of our time."

The committee also emphasized its view that justice is central to peace efforts, stating, "Peace requires justice,"

Pillay responded to criticism by warning against weakening international criminal justice. She said efforts to undermine such systems "endanger the progress painstakingly made since Nuremberg, and they risk returning us to a world in which power, rather than law, determines whose suffering matters,"

The Ethiopian government separately accused Eritrea of military action in northern Ethiopia in a letter to the United Nations Security Council. Ethiopia described the reported incursion as an "all-out invasion" and said it had a right to self-defense.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel rejected Ethiopia’s accusations and wrote on X, "[T]he Ethiopian regime has been pursuing, in effect, an unprovoked war of aggression against Eritrea for more than three years,"