The United Nations’ top human rights official, Volker Turk, has expressed doubts about Israel’s unilateral establishment of “safe zones” in Gaza, stating that nowhere within the territory is safe for civilians. Turk made these remarks during a press conference in Amman, Jordan, raising concerns about the lack of security guarantees in practice. He emphasized that demands for civilians to be relocated to a ‘safe zone’ designated by the Israel Defense Forces are “very alarming”. Israel announced another evacuation window for civilians in the south of northern Gaza, but it remains unclear whether this is a formalization of existing IDF practices or something new.
Turk attributed the root cause of the violence between Israelis and Palestinians to the Israeli occupation and stressed the need for an end to the occupation and full respect for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination in order to achieve sustainable peace. His remarks were made during a five-day visit to the Middle East to discuss Israel’s escalation in Gaza, which included a stop in Jordan after he visited El-Arish Hospital in Egypt to witness firsthand the injuries suffered by Palestinians from Israeli shelling.
During his visit to the Middle East, Turk also accused both Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during the conflict. He highlighted the devastating humanitarian and human rights impact of Israel’s extensive bombardment of Gaza and called for an immediate end to the use of high-explosive weapons in densely populated areas. Turk emphasized the need for investigations into these attacks and expressed grief over the loss of loved ones and colleagues in Gaza. He also called for Member States to invest all necessary efforts to find sustainable peace for all Palestinians and Israelis.