Ambassadors met for an emergency session to discuss the escalation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Rights chief Volker Türk said he was pained to brief the Council once again on the “catastrophic suffering of people in Gaza,” noting that “the temporary relief of the ceasefire, which gave Palestinians a moment to breathe, has been shattered.”
He reported that since 1 March, Israeli military operations have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, including at least 320 children, according to the Gaza health authorities.
Call for investigation
Mr. Türk said he was appalled by the killing of the medical and humanitarian personnel.
“There must be an independent, prompt and thorough investigation into the killings, and those responsible for any violation of international law must be held to account,” he said.
He highlighted that there is nowhere safe to go in Gaza amid ongoing bombardment. Furthermore, half of the territory is now under mandatory evacuation orders or has been declared a no-go zone.
At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continue to launch indiscriminate rockets from Gaza into Israel, in breach of international humanitarian law.
“I am also deeply concerned about the fate and well-being of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza,” he said.
Humanitarian aid blockade
Meanwhile, a month has passed since Israel imposed a complete blockade on vital humanitarian aid and supplies entering Gaza, including food, water, electricity, fuel and medicines.
“The blockade and siege imposed on Gaza amount to collective punishment and may also amount to the use of starvation as a method of war,” he said.
The UN rights chief was alarmed by the inflammatory rhetoric by senior Israeli officials around seizing, annexing and dividing territory, and about transferring Palestinians outside Gaza.
“This raises grave concerns about the commission of international crimes and runs counter to the fundamental principle of international law against the acquisition of territory by force,” he said.
West Bank violence
Mr. Türk also addressed the “extremely alarming” situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where Israeli operations have killed hundreds, destroyed entire refugee camps and displaced over 40,000 Palestinians.
“Illegal settlement expansion continues unabated as some Israeli ministers advocate for Israeli sovereignty in the occupied territory,” he added.
The High Commissioner urged the immediate restoration of the ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza.
He stressed that “nothing can justify the horrific attacks committed against Israeli communities on 7 October 2023. And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
High risk of atrocity crimes
More than 50,400 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, and more than 114,000 others injured, since the beginning of the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Mr. Türk warned that there is a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He recalled that under the Geneva Conventions, States are obligated to act when a serious violation of international humanitarian law is committed.
Furthermore, States party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide have a responsibility to act when the risk becomes apparent.
“I urge all those with influence to ensure the protection of civilians as a matter of absolute priority,” he said.
No military solution
The High Commissioner stressed the need to ensure full accountability for all violations, and to release all hostages immediately and unconditionally, as well as all those arbitrarily detained.
“Israel must refrain from any acts amounting to forcible transfer of Gaza’s population,” he stated.
Mr. Türk said the last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of the crisis.
The only way forward is a political settlement, based on two states living side by side in equal dignity and rights, in line with UN resolutions and international law, he concluded.
