(IntegrityPress.org) – On October 10, the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations condemned the deployment of Israeli military forces on the border of the Gaza Strip and said that international law prohibits such actions. Volker Turk said the latest “explosive” developments in the Middle East were akin to a “powder-keg” waiting to go off.
In a statement, the U.N. official said the laws governing international humanitarianism are “clear” and that both sides in a conflict have an “obligation to” do everything in their power “to spare” non-combatants and “civilian” infrastructure from harm and destruction. On the same day, Turk offered a brief condemnation of the actions of Hamas against Israeli civilians.
One report noted that both Turk and the United Nations at large have declined to label Hamas as a terrorist entity. The UN Watch piece conveyed that in doing so, Turk had given “Hamas legitimacy.” According to the story, the worldwide body has also failed to “expressly affirm” that the nation of Israel has an “inherent right” to defend itself.
Turk opined that the Israelis must refrain from a response that is either “indiscriminate or disproportionate” and referred to their surrounding of Gaza as “a full siege.” The intentional shutdown of the Strip’s electrical grid and supply chains were “seriously compounding” an “already dire” humanitarian crisis, the official said.
Turk added that “the imposition of” siege warfare endangers “the lives of” innocents and is banned “under” the umbrella of “humanitarian law.” The high commissioner made no mention as to whether or not the October 7 actions of Hamas would be subject to the same international regulations.
In addition to their initial executions of well over 1,200 Israeli civilians, the terrorist-designated entity has threatened to livestream the murder of hostages. Some reports say that Hamas retreated back to Gaza with as many as 199 prisoners. An unknown number of those captured are thought to be American citizens.
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