UN human rights chief reiterates call for cease-fire in Middle East

GENEVA

The UN human rights chief on Tuesday voiced “grave” concern over recent escalation in the Middle East and reiterated his call for a cease-fire.

"How many more lives have to be lost in order for the warring parties to end this suffering?" Volker Turk said.

"The only way to end the tragedy for innocent people on all sides is a permanent and immediate cease-fire on all fronts; in Lebanon, in Israel and of course in Gaza," he added.

Turk said that dozens were reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon between Nov. 22 and 24, including eight children and 19 women, and added that at least seven paramedics were also reportedly killed.

Noting that nearly half of the attacks on health care teams and facilities in Lebanon have each caused at least one death – the highest proportion compared to any other active conflict in the world, he said: "This is another indication of how brutal this war is on health workers, and on civilians in general."

"Healthcare personnel exclusively assigned to medical duties must be respected and protected in all circumstances. If they are targeted as such, this constitutes a breach of international humanitarian law, and may amount to a war crime," the UN human rights chief said.

Turk called on Israel to "do all" to ensure full protection for medical staff and minimize any casualties among them, as well as any damage to health infrastructure.

He stressed that Israeli military action in Lebanon has caused "wide-scale loss of civilian life ..., widespread displacement, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, raising serious concerns about respect for the principles of proportionality, distinction and precautions."

Israel has escalated its airstrikes in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets as part of year-long warfare against the Lebanese group since the start of the Gaza war last year.

More than 3,760 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon, with nearly 15,700 injured and over a million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel on Oct. 1 this year expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon.