UN human rights chief warns of ‘high and increasing risk’ of Israeli atrocities in Gaza

UN human rights chief warns of ‘high and increasing risk’ of Israeli atrocities in Gaza
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Injured Palestinian children are transported by ambulance to the Ahli Arab Hospital (Maamadani), after an Israeli strike hit a school in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City on April 3, 2025. (AFP)
UN human rights chief warns of ‘high and increasing risk’ of Israeli atrocities in Gaza
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Palestinians inspect the damage at an ambulance repair yard that was hit by Israeli strikes in the central Gaza Strip on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 04 April 2025
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UN human rights chief warns of ‘high and increasing risk’ of Israeli atrocities in Gaza

UN human rights chief warns of ‘high and increasing risk’ of Israeli atrocities in Gaza
  • It comes as Volker Turk calls for an ‘independent, prompt and thorough’ investigation into the killing of 15 humanitarian workers in Gaza on March 23
  • Slovenian envoy Samuel Zbogar laments ‘erosion of humanity, the erosion of protection of civilians, of respect for international law (and) of peace and security’

NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday expressed deep outrage over the killing of 15 medical and aid workers in Gaza on March 23, as he warned that “there is a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

Volker Turk called for an “independent, prompt and thorough” investigation into the deaths which, he said, raise “further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military.” The perpetrators “must be held to account,” he added.

He was speaking during an emergency meeting of the Security Council requested by council member Algeria, supported by China, Pakistan, Russia and Somalia, to discuss the escalating violence in the territory.

Renewed Israeli military attacks on Gaza have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians since March 1, including at least 320 children, Turk said, adding that the situation has deteriorated after the brief respite provided by the ceasefire earlier in the year

“The temporary relief of the ceasefire has been shattered,” he continued, noting that ongoing Israeli airstrikes have targeted residential buildings, hospitals and schools, many of them sheltering displaced civilians.

“There was no let-up, even as Palestinian families celebrated Eid,” Turk told council members. The Israeli military has intensified its strikes on “camps for people who have been displaced numerous times.” This has displacing thousands of additional Palestinians “who have nowhere safe to go,” he said, as half of Gaza has been designated a no-go zone or placed under evacuation orders.

These actions, he added, violate international humanitarian law, particularly with regard to the protection of civilians during conflicts.

Turk also highlighted the worsening humanitarian situation as a result of the blockade imposed on Gaza by Israeli authorities since March 1, which has cut off vital supplies of food, medicine and fuel. The World Food Program has been forced to close 25 bakeries, he said, exacerbating the food crisis.

“Community tensions over food shortages are palpable, alongside reports of excessive use of force by local police,” he continued. “We are witnessing a return to the breakdown of social order that preceded the ceasefire.”

The blockade amounts to collective punishment of Palestinians and might amount to the international crime of using starvation as a weapon of war, Turk said.

The situation is equally catastrophic in the West Bank, he warned, where Israeli military operations have resulted in hundreds of deaths and the destruction of refugee camps. Since Oct. 7, 2023, more 900 Palestinians have been killed there, including 191 children and five people with disabilities, and 40,000 have been displaced amid an alarming increase in state and settler violence. Some of these deaths, Turk said, might amount to extrajudicial “and other unlawful killings.”

In addition, he warned that “the announcement that residents must not return to their homes for a year raises serious concerns about long-term mass displacement.”

Turk expressed alarm at what he described as inflammatory rhetoric from senior Israeli officials, including calls for the annexation of Gaza and the forcible transfer of Palestinians from the territory. He said this raises grave concerns about the risk of international crimes and runs counter to the fundamental principle of international law that prevents the acquisition of territory by force.

“Dozens of Palestinian herding and farming communities have been forced to leave their homes and their ancestral lands, while restrictions on movement have paralyzed the economy and are shredding the social fabric,” Turk said.

Events during the past 18 months have made it “abundantly clear” that there is no military solution to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, he added. He called for a political resolution and reiterated that the only path forward is a negotiated two-state solution in line with UN resolutions and international law.

Turk urged the Security Council to prioritize the protection of civilians and ensure accountability for all violations of human rights law. He also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and detainees, as well as unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.

The UK’s ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, said her country “strongly opposes Israel’s decision to resume and expand its military operations in Gaza. Further fighting and bloodshed is in nobody’s interest and takes us further away from a deal to get the hostages home.”

She urged Israeli authorities to immediately reinstate the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“Blocking supplies and electricity from entering Gaza risks violating international humanitarian law,” she said.

The UK also condemns remarks by Defense Minister Israel Katz about the annexation of land in Gaza, Woodward added, and recent Israeli decisions to accelerate the establishment of settlements and outposts in the West Bank.

“There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians or reduction in the territory of Gaza,” she said.

Dorothy Shea, the charge d’affaires at the US mission to the UN, said Hamas was “solely responsible for the resumption of hostilities since March 18, refusing time and again to accept proposals to extend the ceasefire.

“For too long, Hamas has abused civilian infrastructure and facilities, cynically using it to physically shield its personnel and weaponry. Hamas’ reckless and contemptuous behavior has put civilians and humanitarian personnel at risk, purposefully placing them in the crossfire.”

Addressing events in the West Bank, Shea said that Washington supports what she described as “the efforts of the Israel Defense Forces to root out violent extremists in Jenin and Tulkarm.”

She called on the Palestinian Authority to carry through on its pledge “to end the practice of offering cash payments to the families of those who have carried out terrorist attacks, which for far too long incentivized violence against Israeli civilians and set back the prospects of peace.”

Slovenian envoy Samuel Zbogar lamented “the erosion of humanity, the erosion of protection of civilians, of respect for international law (and) of peace and security.”

He added: “More war does not bring more peace; not to Israel, not to Palestine, not to the region nor the globe. With each passing day, the region is less secure and the future is more unstable.”

He called on Israeli authorities to halt their operations in Gaza and the West Bank, and for an end to attacks on Israel.

“We call on Israel and Hamas to return to the agreement made in line with Resolution 2735, with the support of Egypt, Qatar and the United States,” Zbogar said. “The ceasefire must be restored, hostages must be released, aid must flow and dialogue must prevail.

“The only path to lasting peace can be the one of diplomacy. The only solution for ensuring lasting peace is the two-state solution endorsed by this council.”


UN peacekeepers say troops attacked by individuals in south Lebanon

UN peacekeepers say troops attacked by individuals in south Lebanon
Updated 10 June 2025
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UN peacekeepers say troops attacked by individuals in south Lebanon

UN peacekeepers say troops attacked by individuals in south Lebanon
  • UN Interim Forces in Lebanon sits on a five-member committee to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah
  • Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he 'strongly condemns the repeated attacks' on UNIFIL forces in south Lebanon

BEIRUT: United Nations peacekeepers said rock-throwing individuals confronted them during a patrol on Tuesday in south Lebanon, calling repeated targeting of their troops “unacceptable.”
The UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel, sits on a five-member committee to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
In a statement, UNIFIL said peacekeepers conducting “a planned patrol” coordinated with the Lebanese army were “confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat Al-Tahta, in southern Lebanon.”
“The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers,” the statement read, adding that “one peacekeeper was struck” but no injuries were reported.
The situation was defused when the Lebanese army intervened, allowing the peacekeeping force to continue its patrol.
“It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to be targeted,” the statement added.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP a Finnish soldier was slapped during the confrontation.
A witness, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said an altercation ensued between locals and the Lebanese army, who were searching for the man who slapped the peacekeeper.
One man opposing the army was injured and hospitalized, the witness said.
In a statement, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he “strongly condemns the repeated attacks” on UNIFIL forces and called for the attackers to be stopped and held accountable.
There have been several confrontations between people in south Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, and UN peacekeepers in recent weeks.
Confrontations are typically defused by the Lebanese army and rarely escalate.
In December 2022, an Irish peacekeeper was killed in a shooting at a UN armored vehicle in the south. Hezbollah surrendered a man accused of the crime, but he was released around a year later.
The November ceasefire agreement, which sought to end over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, states that only Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers may be deployed in the country’s south.
Israel is supposed to have fully withdrawn its troops from Lebanon according to the deal, but has remained in five positions it deems strategic and has repeatedly bombed the country.


UK will sanction Israel ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, Times reports

Britain and other international allies will formally sanction far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Britain and other international allies will formally sanction far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Updated 10 June 2025
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UK will sanction Israel ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, Times reports

Britain and other international allies will formally sanction far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
  • London will join Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other nations in freezing assets and imposing travel bans on Ben-Gvir — a West Bank settler — and Smotrich

LONDON: Britain and other international allies will formally sanction two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, following their conduct over the war in Gaza, the Times reported on Tuesday.
London will join Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other nations in freezing the assets and imposing travel bans on Israel’s national security minister Ben-Gvir — a West Bank settler — and finance minister Smotrich.
Britain’s foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
Britain, like other European countries, has been ramping up the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to end the blockade on aid into Gaza, where international experts have warned that famine is imminent.
London last month suspended free trade talks with Israel for pursuing “egregious policies” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, summoned its ambassador, and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers.
Foreign minister David Lammy, who called Israel’s recent offensive “a dark new phase in this conflict,” has previously condemned comments by Smotrich on the possible cleansing and destruction of Gaza and relocation of its residents to third countries.


Several areas south of Sudan capital at risk of famine, says World Food Programme

Several areas south of Sudan capital at risk of famine, says World Food Programme
Updated 10 June 2025
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Several areas south of Sudan capital at risk of famine, says World Food Programme

Several areas south of Sudan capital at risk of famine, says World Food Programme
  • Several areas south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, are at risk of famine, the World Food Programme

GENEVA, June 10 : Several areas south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, are at risk of famine, the World Food Programme said on Tuesday, with need on the ground outstripping resources amidst a funding shortfall.
“The level of hunger and destitution and desperation that was found (is) severe and confirmed the risk of famine in those areas,” Laurent Bukera, WFP Country Director in Sudan, told reporters in Geneva via video link from Port Sudan. 


Abbas tells Macron he supports demilitarization of Hamas

Abbas tells Macron he supports demilitarization of Hamas
Updated 10 June 2025
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Abbas tells Macron he supports demilitarization of Hamas

Abbas tells Macron he supports demilitarization of Hamas

PARIS: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said that Hamas “must hand over its weapons” and called for the deployment of international forces to protect “the Palestinian people,” France announced on Tuesday.
In a letter addressed on Monday to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who this month will co-chair a conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, Abbas outlined the main steps that he thinks must be taken to end the war in Gaza and achieve peace in the Middle East.
“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces,” wrote Abbas.
He said he was “ready to invite Arab and international forces to be deployed as part of a stabilization/protection mission with a (UN) Security Council mandate.”
The conference at UN headquarters later this month will aim to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution — Israel currently controls large parts of the Palestinian territories.
“We are ready to conclude within a clear and binding timeline, and with international support, supervision and guarantees, a peace agreement that ends the Israeli occupation and resolves all outstanding and final status issues,” Abbas wrote.
“Hamas has to immediately release all hostages and captives,” Abbas added.
In a statement, the Elysee Palace welcomed “concrete and unprecedented commitments, demonstrating a real willingness to move toward the implementation of the two-state solution.”
Macron has said he is “determined” to recognize a Palestinian state, but also set out several conditions, including the “demilitarization” of Hamas.
In his letter, Abbas reaffirmed his commitment to reform the Palestinian Authority and confirmed his intention to hold presidential and general elections “within a year” under international auspices.
“The Palestinian State should be the sole provider of security on its territory, but has no intention to be a militarised State.”
France has long championed a two-state solution, including after the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militants Hamas on Israel.
But formal recognition by Paris of a Palestinian state would mark a major policy shift and risk antagonizing Israel, which insists that such moves by foreign states are premature.


Lebanon says two dead in Israel strike

Lebanon says two dead in Israel strike
Updated 10 June 2025
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Lebanon says two dead in Israel strike

Lebanon says two dead in Israel strike

BEIRUT: An Israeli strike killed a Lebanese father and son Tuesday in a southern village, the Lebanese health ministry and state media said, the latest deaths despite a November ceasefire.
A second son was also wounded in the strike in Shebaa, the state-run National News Agency reported. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
“An Israeli enemy drone carried out a strike in the village of Shebaa, killing two people and wounding one,” a health ministry statement said.
Israel had warned on Friday that it would keep up its strikes on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon despite the condemnation expressed by the Lebanese government after a massive strike on south Beirut the previous night on the eve of the Eid Al-Adha holiday.
Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said the strikes levelled nine residential blocks. The Israeli military said they targeted underground drone factories.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strikes as a “a flagrant violation” of the November 27 ceasefire agreement, which was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that culminated in two months of full-blown war.