GENEVA: The UN human rights chief on Monday accused Israel of committing grave violations in Gaza, warning that mounting evidence could hold it accountable before the International Court of Justice.
Volker Türk, speaking at the opening of the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said he was “horrified by the open use of genocidal rhetoric, and the disgraceful dehumanization of Palestinians by senior Israeli officials,” describing Gaza as “already a graveyard.”
Türk condemned what he called Israel’s “mass killing of Palestinian civilians, the obstruction of humanitarian aid, and the commission of war crimes,” adding that such acts were “shocking the world’s conscience.” He warned that “rules of war are being shredded – with virtually no accountability.”
The UN rights chief said the situation in Gaza reflected a broader erosion of international law, where “the glorification of violence is coupled with disturbing trends that undercut our rights across the world.” He urged decisive international action to halt the bloodshed, stressing that the mounting evidence of atrocities requires urgent accountability.
Türk also highlighted the crisis in Sudan, describing the scale of the suffering of the Sudanese people as ‘unfathomable’ and urging decisive action to prevent further atrocities.
(With AFP and Reuters)
