The UN rights chief said on Wednesday he rejected any “proposals” to annex the land or displace Palestinians from their territories.
“We must resist any normalization of unlawful conduct, including proposals for annexation or forced transfer, which could threaten the peace and security of Palestinians and Israelis and of the wider region,” Volker Turk told the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Turk did not elaborate, but violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank has reportedly increased. There are also calls for annexation following Israel’s announcement it is expanding its military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The UN rights chief also said, without mentioning any names, that perpetrators of abuses committed since the October 7, 2023, attacks need to be held accountable.
“Israel’s means and methods of warfare have caused staggering levels of casualties and destruction, raising concerns over the commission of war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes,” he said.
Turk also added that “Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have taken, held, and tortured hostages in Gaza, and have indiscriminately fired projectiles into Israeli territory, amounting to war crimes.”
Turk said that, to his knowledge, neither group had taken measures to punish those responsible.
“Impunity begets more violence,” he said.
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