In an interview with FRANCE 24, the UN high commissioner for human rights expressed deep concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, describing the situation as "apocalyptic". Volker Türk denounced "grave breaches of international humanitarian law" in Gaza, citing the Israeli blockade of the territory and the use of explosives in densely populated areas. Asked if Israel was deliberately targeting civilians in Gaza, Türk said "the facts speak for themselves".
"If you have over 7,000 children who have been killed, if you have 70 percent of the victims women and children, there are very serious issues that arise from the perspective of whether or not this is proportional, whether the principle of distinction has been applied and whether or not precaution has been made," the UN human rights chief explained.
He said the decision by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to invoke Article 99 of the UN charter for the first time since taking office was a way to convey the urgency of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. “We cannot pretend to the world that there is any meaningful humanitarian assistance,” he said. The letter is "a clarion call to the world to wake up to the situation in Gaza".
Asked about the sexual crimes committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7, Türk said that what Hamas did "is utterly unacceptable and is to be condemned in the strongest terms". He said mounting evidence of sexual violence by Hamas "needs to be investigated" and expressed hope that Israel would accept his proposal to deploy a team to probe the allegations.
The UN human rights chief said he was "extremely concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bigotry" since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, adding that "we need to work to address it head-on".
Finally, turning to the war in Sudan, Türk said the situation was "absolutely disastrous" and that he felt "devastated" that the country's warring generals were not abiding by international law like he asked them to last year. He added that the situation in Darfur, where recent ethnic massacres recall those committed in the 2003-2013 Darfur war, was "extremely worrying", urging whoever has influence over the RSF paramilitaries and local militias to make it absolutely clear that the situation is "not acceptable".
"Frankly, I hope that accountability and justice will be served," he concluded.
