UN rights chief urges probe over Israel's Gaza bombardment

The UN human rights chief on Friday urged an investigation into what he called Israel's use of "high-impact explosive weapons" in Gaza, which he said was causing indiscriminate destruction in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Israel must end its use of such weapons in the densely populated area, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, half of whom have been displaced by fighting in the last month.

Turk was not specific about what weapons he was referring to. Asked for comment, the Israeli military said it was making checks and would respond later.

Israel's air, sea and land bombardment of Gaza, accompanied now by a ground assault deep inside the territory, aims to destroy the militant group Hamas which controls Gaza.

Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis in a cross-border Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies, and the U.N. has said the assault involved war crimes. Israel's subsequent bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians according to health authorities in the Palestinian enclave.

"The extensive Israeli bombardment of Gaza, including the use of high-impact explosive weapons in densely populated areas ... is clearly having a devastating humanitarian and human rights impact," Turk told a news conference during a visit to Jordan's capital Amman.

"The attacks must be investigated ... We have very serious concerns that these amount to disproportionate attacks in breach of international humanitarian law."

Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths in Gaza, saying the group uses the population as human shields and hides weapons and equipment around hospitals, which have been hit by bombardments.

"Any use by Palestinian armed groups of civilians and civilian objects to shield themselves from attack is in contravention of the laws of war," Turk said. "But such conduct by Palestinian armed groups does not absolve Israel of its obligation to ensure that civilians are spared."

Turk also said Israel must take immediate measures to protect Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, where violence is escalating between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers and settlers.

Turk said at least 176 Palestinians, including 43 children and one woman, had been killed in incidents involving Israeli security forces since the beginning of October. At least eight Palestinians had been killed by Israeli settlers.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and said it has also been conducting counter-terrorism operations against militants from the group and other Palestinian armed factions in the West Bank.

Over the past 18 months, Israeli troops have killed hundreds of Palestinians - hardened militant fighters, stone-throwing youths and uninvolved civilians - and made thousands of arrests across the West Bank. In the same period, dozens of Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians. 

Source: Reuters, Amman/Geneva