South Africa's Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to South Africa 's Navi Pillay, the judge who headed the Rwanda genocide tribunal and who last year presided over a UN commission which accused Israel of genocide in Gaza . Pillay, currently a judge on the International Court of Justice in a case where Myanmar also stands accused of genocide, has been "instrumental in ensuring that war crimes , crimes against humanity , and genocide are prosecuted", said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.

Pillay headed the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which does not speak on behalf of the world body, and which last year found that genocide was occurring in Gaza. Read more Israel is committing 'genocide' in Gaza, UN investigators say Pillay told AFP at the time that her team had shared "thousands of pieces of information" with prosecutors at the International Criminal Court . The UN said the prize for Pillay was testimony to the "value" of rights.

But Israel on Friday slammed the announcement saying that awarding Pillay legitimised "anti-Israel hatred" and that Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels must be "applauding from hell". The Nobel committee denied it was taking a stance on whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza by honouring Pillay. "It's her report, the Commission's report, and of course we have great faith in her professionalism, in her integrity, but that work is of a UN inquiry commission," Watne Frydnes told AFP adding that it was up to international courts to rule on the issue. 'Firm moral compass' The Nobel jury said it was honouring Pillay at a time when "the system of international law is under tremendous pressure and its institutions are under attack".

"At a time of existential challenges – including more wars and conflicts than the world has seen in a long time – international law is no longer just a supplement to peace and security. It is an absolute necessity," Watnes said. "Navi Pillay's commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career," the committee said. The prize – the ultimate diplomatic and humanitarian accolade – is sure to irk US President Donald Trump , whose administration has repeatedly attacked international justice institutions.

Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has made no secret of his desire to win the prize. "If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump," Pillay said to a standing ovation captured by Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard in Nuremberg and posted on the social network X. 'If you clap a little more I may share this prize with Trump': Pillay reacts to Nobel Peace Prize win To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.

Accept Manage my choices Last year, the prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado , who subsequently gave her Nobel gold medal to Trump. Read more Venezuela's opposition leader Machado presents Trump with her Nobel Prize at White House meeting The prize comes with a gold medal, a diploma and a prize sum of $1.2 million. The award will be presented at a formal ceremony in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of the prizes' creator, Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel.

The Peace Prize is the only Nobel awarded in Oslo, with the other disciplines announced in Stockholm. On Thursday, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Canadian poet Anne Carson for her modern twists on Greek mythology and antiquity that have inspired new forms of writing. The 2026 Nobel season winds up Monday with the economics prize. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)