UN rights chief says ‘all parties’ guilty of war crimes in Gaza, as ex-hostage looks on
Volker Turk accuses Israel of ‘indiscriminate targeting,’ condemns rocket fire and kidnapping; Elan Tiv, whose father is still being held, shames those who applauded Palestinian envoy

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Thursday war crimes had been committed by all parties in the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 massacres in southern Israel, calling for them to be investigated and for those responsible to be held accountable.
“Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties,” Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. “It is time — well past time — for peace, investigation and accountability.”
The speech was attended by former hostage Aviva Siegel, released on November 26 as part of the temporary ceasefire, and her daughter Elan Tiv, whose father Keith remains captive in Gaza.
Tiv chided attendees who gave a rousing round of applause to Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi after he said: “Unfortunately, some condemn what happened on October 7, and with the strongest terms possible too, but no one remembers or condemns the killing of children, women and elderly.”
Those who applauded “should be ashamed” of themselves, Tiv said.
“You shouldn’t be able to sleep at night, because there are kids on both sides that are being killed,” said Tiv.
The war in Gaza, now in its fifth month, erupted when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid horrific acts of brutality and sexual assault.

Turk, who was presenting a report on the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank, said his office had recorded “many incidents that may amount to war crimes by Israeli forces.” He added there were also indications that Israeli soldiers have engaged in “indiscriminate or disproportionate targeting” in violation of international law.
The October 7 onslaught sparked an Israeli offensive in Hamas-run Gaza, with the stated aim of rescuing the remaining hostages and eradicating the terror group. Gaza health authorities say more than 30,000 people have been killed during the war, though these figures cannot be independently verified, and are believed to include both civilians and Hamas members killed in Gaza, including as a consequence of terror groups’ own rocket misfires. The IDF says it has killed over 12,000 operatives in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Israel says it is targeting all areas where Hamas operates, while seeking to minimize civilian casualties.
Turk also said Palestinian terror groups launching indiscriminate projectiles across southern Israel and the holding of hostages also violated international humanitarian law.
It is believed that 130 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 11 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 31 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. One more person has been listed as missing since October 7, and their fate is still unknown.
Hamas has also been holding the bodies of fallen IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014, as well as two Israeli civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are both thought to be alive after entering the Strip of their own accord in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Turk added that a ground offensive in the southern border town of Rafah, where some 1.5 million people are estimated to be crammed after fleeing their homes further north to escape the war, would incur massive loss of life.
He said such an assault would increase the risk of atrocity crimes, spur more displacement and “sign a death warrant for any hope of effective humanitarian aid.”
Israel’s Rafah operation appears to be on hold with negotiations for another temporary pause in fighting ongoing this week in Qatar. The outline for the deal currently in discussion, which was drawn up by the US and agreed on by Israel, Egypt and Qatar last week in Paris, reportedly provides for a six-week pause in fighting during which some 40 hostages would be freed in exchange for some 400 Palestinian security prisoners.
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz said last week that if the sides fail to reach an agreement, Israel was prepared to invade Rafah over the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts around March 10.