NEW YORK CITY: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday condemned the mounting civilian toll in the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, and warned that the conflict risks plunging the wider region into war.
In a strongly worded statement he said the “wide-scale, continuing attacks” by Israel on Iranian territory and the retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran were having “severe human rights and humanitarian impacts” on civilians.
“The extensive airstrikes and missile and drone attacks have already caused significant harm beyond military objectives,” Turk said, citing attacks that have killed civilians and damaged critical infrastructure including hospitals, homes, water supply systems and energy facilities.
According to the latest official figures from Tehran, 224 people have been killed in the attacks on Iran, though human rights groups estimate the toll to be more than twice that number. In Israel, government figures report at least 24 dead and more than 840 wounded. Displacement is surging, particularly in the Iranian capital, where evacuation orders have prompted the large-scale flight of people from affected areas.
Turk urged both nations to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the in particular the legal obligation to distinguish between military and civilian targets, and to refrain from indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks.
“It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities,” he said. “Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians.”
He called for “maximum restraint,” respect for international law, and a return to the negotiating table as the only way to halt the “spiraling illogic of escalation.”
The latest flare-up, which began when Israel launched attacks on Iran on June 13, follows months of rising tensions and tit-for-tat strikes that have drawn concern from regional powers and global leaders who fear a wider escalation of war in the Middle East.
