Geneva: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has issued a stark warning to Israel as its military launched a ground assault on Gaza City, calling the offensive “totally and utterly unacceptable” and urging an immediate halt to what he described as a “carnage.”
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, Türk said mounting evidence suggests that Israel’s actions in Gaza may amount to serious violations of international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. He noted that the scale and intensity of the military campaign, particularly in densely populated urban areas, risk devastating consequences for civilians already weakened by months of conflict.
Türk placed special emphasis on the plight of Gaza’s most vulnerable populations. “Children who are already malnourished, women, people with disabilities what does it mean if they are again attacked in this way?” he asked. “The only response to that is: stop the carnage.” His remarks highlighted the compounded suffering faced by families trapped in a territory where access to food, clean water, and medical care is already critically restricted.
The UN official accused Israel of engaging in “wanton destruction”, underscoring that indiscriminate strikes and ground operations in civilian areas cannot be justified under international humanitarian law. He stressed that while Israel cites security concerns in its campaign against Hamas, the disproportionate toll on civilians raises grave legal and ethical questions.
The warning comes as a UN Commission of Inquiry recently concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials of inciting the atrocities. Israel has strongly rejected the report, calling it biased and scandalous. When asked whether he himself would use the term “genocide,” Türk said that while the body of evidence continues to grow “war crime after war crime, crimes against humanity, potentially even more” the final determination of genocide lies with international courts.
The Gaza ground assault represents a dangerous escalation in a conflict that has already displaced hundreds of thousands of people and crippled vital infrastructure. Humanitarian agencies warn that the offensive could further collapse already fragile systems of health, sanitation, and food distribution in the enclave.
Türk’s appeal echoes growing international concerns that the current course of action will not bring stability but instead fuel cycles of violence, deepen mistrust, and widen suffering. “The cries for peace are being ignored,” he lamented, urging Israel to step back from what he described as a path leading only to destruction and despair.