The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session on Thursday evening to address the intensifying Israeli military actions against Palestinians, focusing on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.​

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed profound concern over Israel's comprehensive siege on Gaza, stating that such actions could constitute the use of starvation as a method of warfare, a violation of international law. He highlighted that the blockade severely restricts essential aid, including food, water, electricity, fuel, and medicine, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Türk emphasized that these measures amount to collective punishment, disproportionately affecting Gaza's civilian population. ​

In his briefing, Türk condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of 15 medical and humanitarian workers in Gaza. He called for an independent and swift investigation into these incidents, stressing the necessity of holding those responsible accountable for potential violations of international law. ​

Türk also addressed the broader implications of Israel's military operations, noting that half of Gaza's territory is now under mandatory evacuation orders or has been declared no-go zones, leaving civilians with no safe places to seek refuge amid ongoing bombardments. ​

Furthermore, Türk expressed alarm over inflammatory rhetoric from senior Israeli officials advocating for the annexation of Palestinian land and the potential forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. He warned that such statements and actions raise serious concerns about the commission of international crimes and violate the fundamental principles of international law, which prohibit the acquisition of territory by force. ​

The High Commissioner also highlighted the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where over 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced, and entire refugee camps have been destroyed. He reported relentless illegal settlement expansion and noted that some Israeli ministers are calling for the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territories. ​

Türk urged an immediate return to a ceasefire and called for unrestricted humanitarian access to all parts of Gaza. He cautioned that the escalating situation poses an increasingly grave risk of horrific crimes being committed in the occupied Palestinian territories. He reminded the Security Council of states' obligations under the Geneva Conventions to act when serious violations of international humanitarian law occur and emphasized the responsibility of states parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to prevent such crimes when the risk becomes evident. ​

The emergency session underscored the urgent need for international intervention to address the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.  (ILKHA)