Gaza: War crimes probe pledges to continue work for justice and accountability

This article is published in association with United Nations.

As President Trump launched the international Board of Peace plan for Gaza on Thursday, top independent rights experts tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with investigating grave abuses linked to the Hamas-Israel war pledged to continue their work seeking justice and accountability for all.

“The Board of Peace has been set up pursuant to a plan that was submitted to the Security Council that has been voted upon and accepted,” said Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and in Israel. 

“As a Commission of Inquiry, we see our task as investigating into violations of human rights. And that task we understand to be the mandate that the UN has given us.”

The Commission of Inquiry – one of the Human Rights Council’s top investigative mechanisms – was set up by the forum’s 47 Member States in May 2021. 

In November last year, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2803 welcoming the establishment of the Board of Peace as a “transitional administration” and to oversee the redevelopment of Gaza.

In November last year, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2803 welcoming the establishment of the Board of Peace to oversee the redevelopment of Gaza.

Genocide claim

Last September, the Commission’s then Chair, former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, declared that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in response to Hamas-led terror attacks that killed some 1,200 people in Israel in October 2023, sparking the war. Israel strongly denied that claim.

“We need to investigate violations of human rights by all duty-bearers and in both territories,” said Mr. Muralidhar, who expressed hope that the Commission’s earlier findings “will feed into some adjudicatory system to deliver lasting justice to the people in these two territories”.

On the agenda this year, the Commission plans to investigate “attacks by armed Palestinian militias on others within these two territories”, he continued, before stressing the independent nature of the panel.

Responding to questions about the Board of Peace, the chief investigator said that he expected the peace plan it was pursuing “to accommodate the interests of all the people in the conflict zone”. 

At a press conference in Geneva, the panel of independent human rights experts – who do not work for the UN and are not paid for their work – also condemned the reported killing of three Palestinian journalists in central Gaza in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.

“When you’re killing a journalist, it means you have something to hide,” said Commissioner Florence Mumba.

UNRWA focus

The panel also gave its reaction to the dramatic destruction of the headquarters of UN Palestine relief agency UNRWA in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, highlighting its key role in supporting Palestinians for decades.

“Israel needs to think very carefully before it rejects the work that UNRWA has done, the important work that has relieved Israel of its obligations,” said Chris Sidoti. “Of course, there will be consequences for human rights…children have a right to education, all people have a right to the highest attainable standard [of] physical and mental health.”

Ms. Pillay retired last October at the age of 83, followed by fellow commissioners Chris Sidoti and Miloon Kothari. 

Last November, a new panel was appointed by the Human Rights Council – reintegrating Mr. Sidoti – along with fellow jurists Mr. Muralidhar of India and Ms. Mumba of Zambia. 

The Commission chair noted that funding shortages had prevented the panel from investigating the supply of arms and settler violence, despite this being part of its mandate from the Human Rights Council.

“Because of a shortage of finances, we could not go into those areas,” Mr. Muralidhar explained to journalists.