"Unbearable Agony" at the Gaza Strip: UN Slams Israel for War Action
International Human Rights Council Criticizes Israel for Engaging in Military Conflict in Gaza
Got a bone to pick with Israel? So does Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He's seeing red over Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. "The methods and mayhem Israel's using in Gaza are causing ungodly, outrageous pain to the Palestinians," he barks. He's particularly riled up about Israel blocking humanitarian aid from the UN since March.
"Everyone with a government post should open their eyes and see the nightmare unfolding in Gaza," Türk tells the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. "All heavy hitters have to squeeze Israel and Hamas to cut this suffering short." A two-state solution, with Gaza included in a Palestinian state, is the only ticket to permanent peace, say tune-iners.
Türk's not holding back. He slams Israel for using "disgusting, degrading language" and demands an inquiry into deaths around food distribution centers, which Israel and the U.S. are trying to run through the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Getting to the few GHF centers means toughing out the war-zone walk, and there's no shortage of reports of Israeli military taking potshots at civilians around food distribution areas.
Israel calls bunk on Türk's accusations and the UN. Both Israel and the U.S. cry foul over the Human Rights Council and Türk's office, accusing them of favoring Israel. Not so fast, says the Council. It's all about human rights, dudes and dudettes, regardless of individual governments' stances. Council elections choose the member countries for three-year terms, and only those countries get to vote on resolutions. But everyone from anywhere in the world can attend sessions, chime in, or become a subject of investigation. Germany, for one, stays in the Council until the end of the year.
Things in Gaza get messy fast. Human rights organizations tag Israel for violating international law, and Israel defends itself, citing security concerns and self-defense [1][2]. Israel and the U.S. argue that they're eying the GHF centers to stop Hamas from hijacking humanitarian aid supplies. It's a dicey situation, with transparency and accountability taking a backseat in the face of Israel's restrictions on international journalists entering Gaza [1].
Sources: ntv.de, raf/dpa
Tags: Middle East Conflict, UN Human Rights Council, Palestinians, Gaza Strip, Israel
- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, critical of Israel's actions in Gaza, calls for attention from policy-makers, including those guiding employment and community policies, to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
- The UN Human Rights Council, in the midst of intense political discussions, remains adamant that human rights issues, despite national government stances, must be prioritized in employment and community policies, especially in regard to the crisis in Gaza.
