Iran’s FM Urges UN Rights Chief to Hold Israel Accountable over Gaza War Crimes

Wednesday, 25 October 2023 7:31 PM 

This file photo shows the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip.

Iran’s foreign minister has written to the UN rights chief, asking him to help bring the Israeli regime to account for committing war crimes against people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk that the regime is currently perpetrating “flagrant and systematic violations” of the rights of the Palestinian people.

The Iranian minister said the fact that Israel’s atrocities go unpunished has emboldened the regime to commit even more crimes against the Palestinian people.

Iran "expects you and other UN rights mechanisms to take action to immediately stop the Zionist regime’s strikes and hold its leaders responsible for [committing] crimes against humanity as well as war crimes,” he said in the letter, which was released on Wednesday.

The Iranian minister said the intensive Israeli bombardment shows its goal is the “mass killing” of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Amir-Abdollahian said Israel’s attempts to forcibly push Palestinians out of their homes and its plan to enter Gaza to perpetrate “ethnic cleansing” constitute major violations of international law.

The United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) has decried the “staggering” number of children casualties in Gaza.

“Remarks by Israeli regime’s officials as well as massive and systematic attacks by the Zionist regime’s forces into the Gaza Strip show this is a campaign of genocide against the Palestinian people,” he said.

Israel has heavily bombarded the Gaza Strip since October 7, leaving over 6,500 people dead, including more than 2,700 children, and 18, 000 others injured during its 19 days of aggression.

The regime’s strikes are coupled with a crippling siege of Gaza. Israel has also barred any fuel transport into the strip.

The soaring number of casualties from the regime's escalating bombardment comes as medical facilities across the territory were forced to close because of bombing damage, according to health officials.

More than 40 medical centers had to halt operations after they ran out of fuel or were damaged by Israeli air raids.

The bombings have destroyed thousands of buildings and left over one million people displaced in one of the most densely populated places in the world, which is largely deprived of water, food and other basic supplies due to Israel’s blockade.

Aid agencies have warned that a humanitarian catastrophe was unfolding in the besieged territory.