HRN gave an oral statement on violations by the government of Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza conflict at the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva for the Item 4 General Debate on 23 September 2025. A video of the statement is below, followed by a transcription of the statement.
Transcription:
Human Rights Now condemns the continuing grave violations of international law by Israel’s military in Gaza. The recent Commission of Inquiry report concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and the military’s current assault on Gaza City, which witnesses say is destroying entire blocks and burying families under residential buildings deliberately targeted for destruction, marks a further escalation in its campaign of annihilation against the Palestinian people. The man-made famine was also reported last week to have killed at least 441 persons.
We call on states to take urgent action to respect their obligations under international law to prevent genocide and to end Israel’s other violations, including its illegal occupation.
Such actions should be effective and commensurate with the severe gravity of the violations and include a complete arms embargo and broad economic sanctions on Israel, as well as supporting a General Assembly resolution recommending such actions and a multinational UN protection force to protect Palestinians in Gaza, like the 1956 UN Emergency Force.
We also call on states to provide greater support for the ICC’s accountability efforts and to consider suspending Israel’s UN credentials until it respects its UN Charter obligations, as was done for apartheid South Africa beginning in 1974.
States should also require companies in their jurisdiction to conduct heightened due diligence and to end any business supporting violations by Israel’s government, including genocide and its illegal occupation.