UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES ISRAEL TO CHANGE COURSE

UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged Israel’s next government to respect international law as the country counted votes from Tuesday’s election. Speaking to reporters in New York on Wednesday, he said he hoped it would “change course massively”. Turk accused Israel of pursuing warfare as though it were above international law. His comments came while the result of the election, held during Israel’s war in Gaza, remained undecided.

More than 85% of ballots had been counted, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc slightly ahead but short of a majority. That position could give Israeli Arab parties a role in determining who forms the next government. Tuesday’s vote was Israel’s first election since the 7 October 2023 attack. Israel launched its war in Gaza and military operations across the region after that attack.

Earlier in the week, Turk said Israel’s military occupation of Hebron in the occupied West Bank raised serious concerns of “ethnic cleansing”. The operation followed a deadly attack by Palestinian gunmen. In a statement on Monday, he said: “Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law.” Turk also cited Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and called on its next government to respect them.