UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Israel Should Not Use 'High Destructive Power Weapons' in Gaza

On Friday, November 10, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an investigation into what he termed Israel's 'use of high destructive power weapons' in Gaza and urged the country to cease the use of such weapons in this densely populated area, home to approximately 2.3 million Palestinians. According to Reuters, Volker Turk, speaking at a press conference in Amman, the capital of Jordan, stated that the use of these types of weapons leads to indiscriminate destruction in the besieged Gaza region. The report noted that Mr. Turk did not go into details about the types of weapons. Reuters pointed out that the Israeli army, in response to a question about this issue, stated that it is under review and will respond later. The war in Gaza began about a month ago following attacks by Hamas militants on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 individuals, most of whom were civilians. They also took around 240 Israelis and foreign nationals hostage and transferred them to Gaza. Subsequently, Israel besieged the Gaza Strip and began its attacks aimed at destroying Hamas. In this context, Hamas, which controls Gaza, claims that over 10,800 individuals have been killed in these attacks, most of whom are civilians. In response, Israel has urged Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza to relocate to the southern part of the region, accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields and stating that the group hides weapons and equipment beneath or around hospitals and schools. The Hamas militant group is listed as a terrorist organization by the US, the European Union, the UK, and several other countries. According to Reuters, Volker Turk also expressed concern that Israeli attacks could become what he termed 'disproportionate and in violation of international humanitarian law.' Nevertheless, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, 'Any use of civilians and civilian places by Palestinian militant groups to protect themselves from attack is contrary to the laws of war.' He also noted that such behavior by Palestinian militant groups does not absolve Israel of its commitment to protect civilian lives. Reuters also mentioned that Mr. Turk called on Israel to take immediate actions to protect Palestinians in the West Bank, an area witnessing increased violence between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers and settlers.