UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Accuses 'All Parties' Involved in Israel-Hamas War of 'War Crimes'

Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on Thursday, March 1, accused 'all parties' involved in the Israel-Hamas war of committing 'war crimes' and called for accountability for those responsible. In his report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, he stated, 'There have been clear violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, committed by all parties.' Volker Turk added, 'Now is the time for peace, investigations, and accountability.' The UN High Commissioner described the indiscriminate rocket fire towards Israel and the taking of Israeli hostages by Palestinian groups as violations of international humanitarian law. Turk also mentioned that his office has recorded numerous incidents that may constitute 'war crimes' by Israel. He added that there are also signs of 'indiscriminate or disproportionate targeting' of Palestinians by Israeli forces. He noted that Israel's ground attack on Rafah, which has become a refuge for nearly one and a half million Palestinians following the Israeli invasion of Gaza, would result in significant casualties. The UN High Commissioner warned that such an attack would increase the risk of committing brutal crimes, lead to further displacement, and amount to 'a death sentence for any hope of effective humanitarian assistance.' Ilan Tiu, the daughter of a recently released female hostage named Aviva Siegel, who attended the event with her mother, stated that those who praised Hamas's attack 'should be ashamed of themselves.' She, whose father is still a Hamas hostage in Gaza, added, 'You should not be able to sleep at night; because children on both sides are still being killed.' Ibrahim Khreisheh, the permanent representative of the Palestinian Authority to the UN in Geneva, also spoke to applause from the audience, saying, 'We condemned what happened on October 7 and we will do so firmly. But really, no one condemns the fact that women, children, and the elderly are being killed.' Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of over 250 hostages, Israel launched an invasion of Gaza aimed at destroying this Iran-backed Islamist group. Hamas officials have repeatedly emphasized that they would carry out such an attack again if able. Hamas, without mentioning the number of its members killed as a result of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, claims that over 30,000 Palestinians living in Gaza have been killed so far. The Persian section of Voice of America cannot independently verify or confirm the statistics provided. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. An Israeli attack near the Lebanese and Syrian border left one dead. The United States and Canada are considering air assistance to civilians in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes in Syria and Lebanon; Arab sources report the deaths of Iranian proxy forces. The United States has demanded a written commitment from Israel to respect human rights in the use of American weapons. The Israeli Defense Minister has called for military service for 'ultra-Orthodox' Jews; the opposition party leader and a member of the 'war cabinet' welcomed this. Speculation continues regarding a possible agreement; Egypt is hopeful; Hamas is 'ready' to continue the war. The Palestinian Authority Minister says he does not expect a 'miracle' from the 'Moscow negotiations' for the establishment of a unified government.