Volker Turk, UN human rights official, said on Thursday that all parties involved in the battle between Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes, and he called for an investigation and accountability for those responsible.
“Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties,” Turk told the Geneva Human Rights Council.
“It is time – well past time – for peace, investigation and accountability.”
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 253 prisoners in an attack on Israel on October 7.
Following it, Israeli soldiers have slaughtered more than 30,000 people and injured over 70,000 others in Gaza, with many more casualties.
Turk, who was presenting a report on the human rights situation in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, stated that his office has documented “many incidents that may amount to war crimes by Israeli forces”.
He also stated that there were signs that Israeli soldiers used “indiscriminate or disproportionate targeting” in breach of international law.
