The head of the UN human rights office stated on Friday that anyone responsible for egregious human rights breaches in the war between Israel and Hamas ought to face consequences.
In a report on the situation in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated, “The entrenched impunity that OHCHR — the UN rights agency — has reported on for many years cannot persist.”
According to him, there have been infractions that may qualify as international crimes because of the impunity.In accordance with international law, Turk called for all parties involved in the war to “put an end to impunity and conduct prompt, independent, impartial, thorough, effective, and transparent investigations” into alleged crimes. In addition, he urged them to uphold international law in its entirety, ensure accountability for transgressions and abuses, and establish a ceasefire based on human rights and humanitarian concerns.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an order last month compelling Israel to stop genocide against Palestinians and provide greater aid to civilians, though it refrained from imposing a ceasefire as demanded by South Africa, the party that initiated the case.
In unrelated hearings on Tuesday, South Africa argued that it would facilitate settlement negotiations if the court issued a non-binding ruling declaring that Israel’s possession of Palestinian territory is unlawful.
Separately, the UN organization for Palestinian refugees issued a warning, stating that in light of its difficulties managing the Gaza War, it has reached a crucial point.
Chief Philippe Lazzarini stated, “It is with profound regret that I must now inform you that UNRWA has reached a breaking point,” as financing from donors freezes, pressure mounts from Israel to dissolve the organization, and the agency’s humanitarian needs skyrocket.
In a letter to the assembly, he stated that “the Agency’s ability to fulfill the mandate given through General Assembly Resolution 302 is now seriously threatened.”
In 1949, once Israel was established, the agency was established based on that resolution. About 30,000 people labor for UNRWA in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the occupied territories.A number of nations, including the US, UK, Germany, and Japan, have cut off UNRWA’s financing in reaction to claims made by Israel that some of its employees took part in the attack on Israel on October 7.
Lazzarini stated in an interview that was released over the weekend that $438 million, or more than half of the projected budget for 2024, has been frozen. He claimed that Israel was making a deliberate attempt to dismantle UNRWA.
Israel accused the UN personnel, and the UN sacked them and launched an internal investigation into UNRWA.
Additionally, an impartial commission has been charged by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with determining whether UNRWA maintains a neutral stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Lazzarini claimed that although 16 countries have presented evidence against the 12 former employees it has accused, Israel has not.
Without fresh finance, UNRWA activities throughout the area will be seriously jeopardized as of March, he warned donors and host nations.
“I fear we are on the verge of a monumental disaster with grave implications for human rights, peace, and security in the region,” he continued.
Following Hamas’ historic strike on October 7, which claimed the lives of over 1,160 persons in Israel, the majority of them civilians, the war got underway.
About 250 hostages were also taken by Hamas terrorists; 130 of them are still in Gaza, 30 of whom are thought to be dead, according to Israel.
The Gaza Health Ministry has updated its figure of the number of persons killed by Israel’s retaliatory attack to at least 29,410, the majority of whom were women and children.