UN Human Rights office demands accountability for violations, atrocity in Gaza

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UN Human Rights office demands accountability for violations, atrocity in Gaza

2024-11-09 17:17 Last Updated At：11-10 00:27

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a report on Friday, asserting that there must be "due reckoning" for the horrific violations and potential atrocity crimes occurring in the Gaza Strip.

Spanning the period from November 2023 to April 2024, the report provides a detailed examination of unlawful acts, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and other serious breaches of international humanitarian law. It indicates that many of these actions may constitute war crimes, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk emphasized that Israel must fully and immediately fulfill its international obligations to prevent, protect against and punish acts of genocide and associated prohibited conduct.

The report reveals that nearly 70 percent of those killed in Gaza due to hostilities, including airstrikes, were women and children, and approximately 80 percent of fatalities occurred in residential buildings or similar structures.

It calls for further investigation and full accountability into all violations and alleged violations in accordance with international law.

"It is essential that there is due reckoning with respect to the allegations of serious violations of international law through credible and impartial judicial bodies and that, in the meantime, all relevant information and evidence are collected and preserved," Türk said.

Türk also called on UN member states to reassess military sales and support to the parties involved in the conflict, particularly when such assistance carries a significant risk of serious violations of international law.

"The violence must stop immediately, the hostages and those arbitrarily detained must be released, and we must focus on flooding Gaza with humanitarian aid," he said.

Israel's unrelenting attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed 43,508 Palestinians and injured 102,684 others over the past 13 months since October 7, 2023, according to the enclave's health authorities on Friday.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.