UN Human Rights Chief Calls All Parties Involved in the Hamas-Israel Conflict in the Gaza Strip Committing War Crimes

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - UN Human Rights (HAM) Chief Volker Turk on Thursday said all parties committed war crimes in the Hamas-Israel conflict in the Gaza Strip, calling for an investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable.

"Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including war crimes and other possible crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties," Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, as reported by Reuters, March 1.

"It is time, well past time, for peace, investigation and accountability," he continued.

The Hamas armed group killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in attacks on Israel on October 7, according to an Israeli tally.

The attack sparked an Israeli offensive on Hamas-controlled Gaza, which it said was aimed at rescuing the remaining hostages and eliminating Hamas. Health authorities in Gaza said Thursday that more than 30,000 people were confirmed to have died in the attacks.

Turk, who delivered a report on the human rights situation in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said his office had recorded "many incidents that may constitute war crimes by Israeli forces".

He added that there were also indications that Israeli forces had carried out "indiscriminate and disproportionate targeting" in violation of international law.

Turk also said that Palestinian armed groups launching projectiles indiscriminately throughout southern Israel and taking hostages also violated international humanitarian law.

Turk added that a ground attack on the southern border town of Rafah, where some 1.5 million people are estimated to be crowded after fleeing their homes further north to escape Israeli attacks, would result in heavy casualties.

He said such attacks would increase the risk of atrocity crimes, drive more refugees and “sign a death warrant for any hope of effective humanitarian assistance.”

Meanwhile, in a speech that received applause from many participants at the UN Human Rights Council, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi said: "Unfortunately, some people condemn what happened on October 7, and in the strongest terms, but do not some remember or condemn the killing of children, women and the elderly.”

Meanwhile Elan Tiv, the daughter of former hostage Aviva Siegel who attended Turk's speech with her mother, said those who praised the Palestinian intervention "should be ashamed" of themselves.

"You shouldn't be able to sleep at night, because there are children from both sides being killed," said Tiv, whose father, Keith, is still held captive in Gaza.