Latest news with #VolkerTurk
LBCI
15 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
'Appalling' to see civilians treated as 'collateral damage' by Iran, Israel: UN
The United Nations said Thursday it was appalled to see civilians being treated as collateral damage in the conflict between Iran and Israel and urged maximum restraint on all sides. "It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities. Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians," U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement. AFP
Arab News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
UN rights chief condemns civilian toll of Israel-Iran escalation, warns of regional conflagration
NEW YORK CITY: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday condemned the mounting civilian toll in the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, and warned that the conflict risks plunging the wider region into war. In a strongly worded statement he said the 'wide-scale, continuing attacks' by Israel on Iranian territory and the retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran were having 'severe human rights and humanitarian impacts' on civilians. 'The extensive airstrikes and missile and drone attacks have already caused significant harm beyond military objectives,' Turk said, citing attacks that have killed civilians and damaged critical infrastructure including hospitals, homes, water supply systems and energy facilities. According to the latest official figures from Tehran, 224 people have been killed in the attacks on Iran, though human rights groups estimate the toll to be more than twice that number. In Israel, government figures report at least 24 dead and more than 840 wounded. Displacement is surging, particularly in the Iranian capital, where evacuation orders have prompted the large-scale flight of people from affected areas. Turk urged both nations to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the in particular the legal obligation to distinguish between military and civilian targets, and to refrain from indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks. 'It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities,' he said. 'Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians.' He called for 'maximum restraint,' respect for international law, and a return to the negotiating table as the only way to halt the 'spiraling illogic of escalation.' The latest flare-up, which began when Israel launched attacks on Iran on June 13, follows months of rising tensions and tit-for-tat strikes that have drawn concern from regional powers and global leaders who fear a wider escalation of war in the Middle East.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo and Rwanda sign draft peace agreement
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a provisional agreement aimed at stopping the conflict in eastern DRC, according to a joint statement from the two countries and the United States Department of State. The development late on Wednesday in Washington, DC, came after 'three days of constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interests', the statement said. The draft agreement contains provisions on issues including disarmament, the integration of non-state armed groups and the return of refugees and internally displaced people. Eastern DRC has been riven by conflict for decades, with armed groups competing for access to natural resources. Fighting in the region escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured Goma, the mineral-rich area's largest city. A few weeks later, the group seized the strategic town of Bukavu. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels. Thousands of people have been killed in the region and hundreds of thousands of others displaced since the conflict intensified earlier this year. Several of the parties to the conflict have been accused of carrying out human rights abuses. In a report published in May, Amnesty International accused M23 of torturing and killing civilians. 'These acts violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,' Amnesty said at the time. On Monday, Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said that the rebels, DRC troops and allied armed groups had all carried out human rights called on all sides 'to commit immediately to a ceasefire and resume negotiations, and to respect international humanitarian and human rights law'. The US hopes to bring an end to the fighting and to unlock billions of dollars of Western investment in the eastern DRC, which has large mineral reserves including cobalt, copper, gold and lithium. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the twin aims of peace and investment as a 'win-win'. As part of the diplomatic efforts, Massad Boulos, the US envoy to Africa, travelled to the DRC and Rwanda in April. During his visit, he urged Kigali to end its support for the M23 rebels. Although the African countries have agreed to at least six truces since 2021, none has lasted. Angola stepped down in March from its role as mediator, with the US and Qatar currently leading efforts to secure peace in the eastern DRC. The draft agreement is due to be formally signed on June 27 by ministers from the DRC and Rwanda in the presence of Rubio.
Al Jazeera
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
DR Congo and Rwanda sign draft peace agreement
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have signed a provisional agreement aimed at stopping the conflict in eastern DRC, according to a joint statement from the two countries and the United States Department of State. The development late on Wednesday in Washington, DC, came after 'three days of constructive dialogue regarding political, security, and economic interests', the statement said. The draft agreement contains provisions on issues including disarmament, the integration of non-state armed groups and the return of refugees and internally displaced people. Eastern DRC has been riven by conflict for decades, with armed groups competing for access to natural resources. Fighting in the region escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured Goma, the mineral-rich area's largest city. A few weeks later, the group seized the strategic town of Bukavu. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels. Thousands of people have been killed in the region and hundreds of thousands of others displaced since the conflict intensified earlier this year. Several of the parties to the conflict have been accused of carrying out human rights abuses. In a report published in May, Amnesty International accused M23 of torturing and killing civilians. 'These acts violate international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,' Amnesty said at the time. On Monday, Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said that the rebels, DRC troops and allied armed groups had all carried out human rights abuses. Turk called on all sides 'to commit immediately to a ceasefire and resume negotiations, and to respect international humanitarian and human rights law'. The US hopes to bring an end to the fighting and to unlock billions of dollars of Western investment in the eastern DRC, which has large mineral reserves including cobalt, copper, gold and lithium. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the twin aims of peace and investment as a 'win-win'. As part of the diplomatic efforts, Massad Boulos, the US envoy to Africa, travelled to the DRC and Rwanda in April. During his visit, he urged Kigali to end its support for the M23 rebels. Although the African countries have agreed to at least six truces since 2021, none has lasted. Angola stepped down in March from its role as mediator, with the US and Qatar currently leading efforts to secure peace in the eastern DRC. The draft agreement is due to be formally signed on June 27 by ministers from the DRC and Rwanda in the presence of Rubio.
MTV Lebanon
3 days ago
- Health
- MTV Lebanon
Israeli forces kill 51 Palestinians waiting for flour at Gaza aid site
Israeli forces have killed more than 51 Palestinians and wounded many more after opening fire near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, witnesses and rescuers say. The Hamas-run civil defence agency said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the aid site in Khan Younis. More than 200 people were reportedly injured. The Israeli military has told the BBC it is looking into the reports. It is the latest, and potentially the deadliest, of the almost daily shootings that have been taking place recently near aid distribution sites in Gaza. Witnesses say that Israeli forces opened fire and shelled an area near a junction to the east of Khan Younis, where thousands of Palestinians had been gathering in the hope of getting flour from a World Food Programme (WFP) site, which also includes a community kitchen nearby. A local journalist and eyewitnesses said Israeli drones fired two missiles, followed shortly after by a shell from an Israeli tank positioned between 400 and 500m away from the crowd. The explosions caused many casualties. The crowd had assembled near a key road leading to the town of Bani Suheila, an area that has seen weeks of ongoing Israeli military operations. Nasser Hospital, the main functioning medical facility in the area, has been overwhelmed by the number of casualties. It is so overcrowded that the many wounded are lying on the floor as medical staff treat their injuries. In a statement the IDF said "a gathering was identified adjacent to an aid distribution truck that got stuck in the area of Khan Younis, and in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area." It said it was "aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire following the crowd's approach" and the incident was under review. On Monday, the UN human rights chief Volker Turk said Israel was weaponising food and called for an investigation into the shootings near aid sites.
