UN human rights experts have called for independent investigations into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Israel and the Palestinian territories since October 7.
Maurice Tidball-Binz, the UN's special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, and Alice Jill Edwards, the special rapporteur on torture, issued a joint statement stressing the need for "swift, transparent and independent investigations" and accountability, AFP reported .
"Independent investigators must be given the necessary resources, support and access to conduct prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into crimes allegedly committed by all parties to the conflict," the statement said.
"The duty to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity, including any act of summary or extrajudicial killing, torture or other violations of human dignity, is a fundamental legal obligation."
Their comments came amid a four-day pause in relentless hostilities since Hamas launched its unprecedented attacks in Israel on October 7, which Israeli officials say have killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
According to the Hamas government in Gaza, Israel's military campaign has killed 15,000 people, mostly civilians, including thousands of children.
Independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but do not speak for the UN.
In their statement, they called on the international community to ensure that all those responsible for the most serious rights violations - especially those in a leadership role - are "immediately brought to justice".
The experts pointed out that there is "no statute of limitations" for war crimes and crimes against humanity, which fall within the scope of the so-called universal jurisdiction.
This means that courts in any country can prosecute those responsible, regardless of their nationality and the country where the crimes were committed.
"We encourage all countries to play a proactive role in identifying the main suspected perpetrators and assist in facilitating prosecutions through the principle of mutual legal assistance," they said. /BGNES
