Following Discovery of Mass Grave in Gaza with Bodies of 15 Aid Workers, Human Rights Chief Warns Security Council about Heightened Risk of Atrocity Crimes
Following the recent discovery of a mass grave in Gaza — in which the bodies of 15 humanitarian workers were interred — the United Nations human-rights Chief warned the Security Council today of a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“I am appalled by the recent killing of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian aid workers, which raise further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military,” said Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Additionally, he observed that the temporary relief granted by the ceasefire “has been shattered”. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israeli military operations have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, including at least 320 children, since 1 March. Bombardments of residential buildings, tents, hospitals and schools continue, including places where Palestinians have been ordered to move.
Pointing out that a month has passed since the Israeli military imposed a complete blockade on vital aid and supplies to Gaza, he underscored: “The blockade and siege imposed on Gaza amount to collective punishment and may also amount to the use of starvation as a method of war.” He also noted that, as of 1 April, the World Food Programme (WFP) shut its 25 bakeries in Gaza — leaving many without access to bread — and he spotlighted a “return to the breakdown of social order that preceded the ceasefire”. Additionally, he said that inflammatory rhetoric by senior Israeli officials regarding seizing, dividing and controlling territory “raises grave concerns about the commission of international crimes”.
Further noting that the situation in the West Bank is “extremely alarming”, he said that the announcement that residents must not return to their homes for a year “raises serious concerns about long-term mass displacement”. While “nothing can justify” the horrific attacks committed on 7 October 2023, he stressed that the same is true for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Urging immediate restoration of the ceasefire in Gaza, he warned: “There is a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
‘Many Appalling Records’ Broken in Gaza, with Highest Number of Aid Workers Killed in Any Conflict
“Many appalling records have been broken in this war,” observed Younes Al-Khatib, President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The war on Gaza, he said, has seen the greatest number of aid workers killed in any conflict. Recently, a mission coordinated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs uncovered a mass grave, where 15 first responders — including eight Palestine Red Crescent Society paramedics, six civil-defence members and one UN officer — were buried. “They were killed while on mission to save lives,” he said.
Noting the Society’s documentation of the mission’s timeline, as well as dispatch communications and what one team “had witnessed when they went back to the scene”, he added that Asad Al-Nasasra, a Society member, had reported that his team was being fired upon and that several colleagues were injured. He is still missing. “We call on the Israeli occupation forces to provide information on his fate,” he urged. Also calling for a thorough investigation and the immediate resumption of aid delivery, he added: “We call on the Security Council — and on the whole international community — to spare no effort to return to the ceasefire.”
World Will Not Respect Security Council if It Fails to Take Meaningful Action
As the floor opened, the representative of Algeria noted that, earlier today, Israeli air strikes targeted a school sheltering displaced people, killing dozens of civilians. On 2 April — yesterday — the bombing of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) clinic killed 22 others. “The surge of bodies after this massacre has been heartbreaking, with children identified only by their clothes,” he said — a red blouse for one, brown for another. He emphasized the result if the Council does not act: “The world — our constituency — will no longer respect neither the Council nor its deliberations”.
Others felt similarly. The representative of Pakistan, recalling the Council’s many meetings on this issue, nevertheless observed that the Palestinian people “are left questioning whether this body will take meaningful steps, or merely lament their suffering”. He added: “Our failure not only undermines this institution, but also erodes the international order based on the UN Charter.” Sierra Leone’s representative underscored that “respect for international law is not optional”, stressing that settler violence is part of a broader crisis that must be addressed immediately.
Risk of Total Collapse of International Law in Region
Guyana’s representative pointed to the risk of “total collapse of international law in the region if the Council does not find the collective will” to uphold the rule of that law. She therefore called on the organ to address the “anomaly in Palestine”, where the occupying Power inflicts immense hardship on Palestinians with no accountability. “Continued impunity for grave violations against Palestinian civilians undermines the credibility of the international system,” stressed the representative of Somalia. Going further, he said: “The international community’s silence on what is happening in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is a disgrace to humanity.”
Humanitarian Assistance Cannot Be Used as Political Tool
The representative of Slovenia, deploring the erosion of humanity in Gaza, also condemned Israeli attacks on humanitarian workers. “We cannot choose to believe these were simply mistakes,” he said, underscoring that “intentionally directing attacks against personnel involved in a humanitarian-assistance mission is a war crime and must be prosecuted accordingly”. China’s representative, on the “shocking” 23 March killing of 15 humanitarian workers, pointed out that their bodies were later found in a mass grave, close to damaged vehicles with humanitarian markings. Underscoring the need for accountability, he also opposed the use of humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip.
Similarly, Denmark’s representative stressed: “Humanitarian assistance must never be used as a political tool.” She also expressed support for an independent investigation into the killing of Red Crescent staff, observing that this is the third time “within less than a week” that the Council debates the protection of humanitarian personnel. The United Kingdom’s representative said that the killing of Red Crescent medics was “an outrage”, underscoring the need for accountability and for Israel to respect deconfliction notifications from aid workers. And, while stating that the remaining Israeli hostages must be released, she opposed Israel’s decision to resume military operations in Gaza.
Outrage over Attacks on Palestine Red Crescent Society, UN Workers
Despite Israel’s declaration of its intent to target Hamas operatives, “the clear fact” is that the majority of those killed are innocent civilians — including children and humanitarian workers — said the representative of the Republic of Korea. And, while “Hamas’ refusal to an immediate and unconditional release of hostages is unconscionable”, he stressed that “this does not legitimize the blocking of humanitarian aid”. The representative of France, Council President for April, spoke in his national capacity to urge the release of hostages. Nevertheless, he also called for an inquiry into the unacceptable attacks on the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza.
The ambulances involved in that incident were all clearly marked, noted the representative of the Russian Federation. Also spotlighting a 2 April Israeli strike on an UNRWA medical centre serving as a shelter for more than 700 people, he said: “Hope for the situation changing for the better is almost non-existent.” Greece’s representative said that his delegation was “particularly troubled” by continued attacks on UN premises, including that incident. He also joined others in condemning increased settlement activity in the West Bank, as well as Hamas’ ongoing detention and cruel treatment of its hostages.
United States Representative: Hamas Responsible for Resumption of Hostilities
The representative of the United States, meanwhile, said that Hamas is solely responsible for the resumption of hostilities, and that using civilians to shield military operations violates international humanitarian law. Every death, she stressed — including those discussed today — would have been avoided had Hamas accepted the “bridge” proposal on the table in March. Panama’s representative, for his part, appealed to all actors to protect humanitarian workers and joined others in urging a return to ceasefire.
Palestinian Observer: Israel’s Aim Is Stealing Palestinian Land, Not Releasing Hostages
After Council members had their say, the Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine underscored: “Enough occupation, enough wars — we need a ceasefire now.” Israel not only completely blocks humanitarian aid but also ensures that civilians are denied all assistance. Pointing to the recent execution of Red Crescent workers, bombing of an UNRWA clinic and strike against a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, he stated that Israel wants to make clear that “the only alternative to death is displacement out of Gaza”. Israel’s objective, he stressed, is not releasing the hostages — it is “stealing Palestinian land”.
Israel’s Representative: War Will Not End Until Hostages are Released
Israel’s representative then stated: “This war will not end until the 59 remaining innocent hostages are released and Hamas is driven from Gaza.” He also said that the same pattern unfolds every time the Council convenes to address the situation in Gaza: “Hamas commits an atrocity, Israel takes action to defend ourselves and, somehow, the story that gets told in this room is upside-down.” On the “incident” that occurred on 23 March involving the Red Crescent, he said that active Hamas terrorists were present inside those vehicles. He added: “There is no ceasefire agreement that can hold while innocent people remain in captivity.”
Crisis Has Reached Peak
The representative of Libya, speaking for the Arab Group, said that the crisis has reached its peak, and making statements and “selecting words” is of no use. The massacre of Red Crescent aid workers was committed deliberately, and then their bodies were thrown into a mass grave to cover up the crime. Stressing that the occupying Power is committing genocide, he underlined the need for a ceasefire and the subsequent delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Further, he warned Council members against becoming “accomplices” in the suffering of the Palestinian people.
As the meeting drew to a close, the observer for the State of Palestine and the representative of Israel each took the floor two additional times to address the other directly. “We are not your enemy — your enemies are Hamas,” stressed the latter, while the former stated: “We don’t have a partner for peace from your side.”