UN Rights head urges nations to act against Israel’s onslaught in Gaza
(MENAFN) The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, emphasized on Monday that ending the nearly year-long war in Gaza is of utmost importance, urging nations to act against what he termed Israel’s “blatant disregard” for international law in the occupied Palestinian territories. According to Gaza health officials, nearly 50,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since the beginning of Israel’s military response to Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of 250 more. Turk’s remarks highlight the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis and preventing the conflict from escalating into a wider regional war.
Turk’s speech, delivered during the opening of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, called for an immediate resolution to the conflict in Gaza. He stressed that states must not turn a blind eye to Israel's violations of international law, citing the UN Security Council’s binding resolutions and the orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The High Commissioner noted that such disregard for legal frameworks cannot be tolerated in any situation, underscoring the need for the international community to take decisive action. This comes as Israel continues to reject the ICJ's recent opinion from July, which deemed the occupation illegal and called for comprehensive measures to address the situation.
The opinion from the ICJ, which Turk referenced, asserted that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal under international law, a ruling Israel dismissed as biased and one-sided. Turk’s comments, made midway through his four-year term as the UN rights chief, reflect the growing frustration within the international community over the lack of progress in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He emphasized that the situation in Gaza and the wider region must be addressed with urgency to prevent further loss of life and to restore some level of peace and stability.
In his broader address, Turk also highlighted a wider crisis of political leadership globally, warning that power struggles in various regions are being carried out at the expense of universal human rights. His remarks opened a five-week session of the Human Rights Council, during which other major human rights violations in countries like Sudan, Afghanistan, and Ukraine will be discussed. Turk expressed concern about the widespread disregard for human rights principles around the world, urging leaders to prioritize human dignity and the rule of law in their actions.
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