Two esteemed UN experts have made a fervent plea for an investigation into potential war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the conflict in Gaza. During a gathering in Geneva on Monday, they stressed the imperative need for independent investigators to be equipped with the essential resources, support, and access to conduct thorough, impartial, and prompt investigations into the alleged atrocities committed by all parties involved in the conflict.
Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions, and Alice Jill Edwards, the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment, did not cite specific examples during their address.
Noteworthy, in recent weeks, human rights activists have brought to light several actions that could potentially amount to war crimes. These include the abduction of over 200 individuals by Hamas fighters during the assault on Israel on Oct. 7 and the distressing exploitation of civilians as human shields by militants in the Gaza Strip.
Other contentious issues encompass Israel’s effective blockade of Gaza at the commencement of the war and the extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure in Israeli airstrikes, a destructive rampage that led to a substantial loss of lives.
The distinguished experts underscored that the responsible individuals for such egregious crimes can be subjected to investigation and prosecution by courts in any country. Nevertheless, any decisions based on their counsel can only be made by the UN’s Human Rights Council.
