{"id":312008,"date":"2025-09-16T14:57:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T18:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&#038;p=312008"},"modified":"2025-10-08T14:59:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T18:59:11","slug":"ohchr-statement-16sep25","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/ohchr-statement-16sep25\/","title":{"rendered":"High Commissioner for Human Rights: Israel&#8217;s strike on negotiators in Doha a shocking breach of international law"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>16 Septmeber 2025<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-top content-container\">\n<div class=\"content-main\">\n<div class=\"content-narrow\">\n<div class=\"node-field__wrapper-top\">\n<div class=\"node-field\">\n<p class=\"text--eyebrow node-field__label node-field__label--large\">Delivered by: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"node-field\">\n<p class=\"text--eyebrow node-field__label node-field__label--large\">At: Geneva<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-container\">\n<aside class=\"content-left-sidebar\" role=\"region\"><\/aside>\n<div class=\"content-main\">\n<div class=\"node-news__video-component\">\n<div class=\"field field--name-field-video field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items\">\n<div class=\"field__item\"><strong>Mr. President,<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-narrow\">\n<div class=\"node-news__body\">\n<div class=\"wysiwyg-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<p>Israel\u2019s strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the world.<\/p>\n<p>As such, I condemn it, and call on this Council and all governments to do the same.<\/p>\n<p>The Secretary General has pointed out that Israel\u2019s action was a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar. The members of the Security Council also expressed their condemnation.<\/p>\n<p>The attack violated the right to life under international human rights law, and the principles of international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n<p>Targeting parties engaged in internationally supported mediation on its territory undermines Qatar\u2019s key role as a facilitator and peace broker. It is an attack on global efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully.<\/p>\n<p>I urge this Council to reaffirm the central importance of mediation processes, and to call for accountability for unlawful killings.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mr. President,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Laws exist to defend values central to our societies, and to our world.<\/p>\n<p>The rules of war, which govern every party to armed conflict, were agreed over decades for the common good.<\/p>\n<p>Under those rules, the distinction between civilian and military targets is fundamental.<\/p>\n<p>An attack may never be targeted at civilians who are not taking a direct part in hostilities.<\/p>\n<p>At their core, the main purpose of the rules of war is to minimise the use of armed force, and to prevent and ease the suffering of civilians.<\/p>\n<p>When countries ignore them, they undermine the protection of civilians, everywhere.<\/p>\n<p>In the case of the Israeli attack in Doha, the Hamas delegation was in Qatar to negotiate for a ceasefire \u2013 a vital step towards peace.<\/p>\n<p>Peace that is so desperately needed in Gaza, in the occupied West Bank, in Lebanon, in Syria, in Yemen and across the entire region.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mr. President,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Israeli attack was concurrent with other actions which are destroying any prospect of the two-state solution \u2013 the only route to sustainable peace.<\/p>\n<p>On the same day as the attack, Israel signalled a new phase of its assault on Gaza, with a displacement order for some one million people to leave Gaza City, without necessary provision for their safety and security. This is another blatant contravention of international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, as funerals were held for those killed in Doha, the Israeli Government formally signed off on the so-called E1 project near East Jerusalem. The Prime Minister described this project as fulfilling the Government\u2019s promise to stop the creation of a Palestinian State.<\/p>\n<p>This is the latest in a long list of illegal facts on the ground that are bringing the two-state solution closer and closer to a point of no return.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mr. President,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Our hearts break for the civilians of Gaza; for the Israeli hostages and their loved ones; for those arbitrarily held in Israeli prisons and their families.<\/p>\n<p>War without laws means a future of endless cruelty and suffering for civilians, both Palestinian and Israeli.<\/p>\n<p>This attack demonstrates the urgent need for Member States to step up. Few have done so.<\/p>\n<p>The United Nations has been on the ground throughout, delivering aid and documenting violations, at huge cost. Hundreds of our own colleagues have been killed.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly two years after the appalling terror attacks of 7 October 2023\u00a0and the ensuing escalation in violence, this carnage has to stop. Member States cannot wait any longer.<\/p>\n<p>They have an obligation to take concrete action to stop egregious violations of international law, including those spelt out by the International Court of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>They must stop the flow to Israel of arms that risk violating the laws of war.<\/p>\n<p>They must apply maximum pressure for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and those arbitrarily detained, as well as the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>And I urge them to do everything possible to support the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n<p>I commend those States that are leading by their example.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; 16 Septmeber 2025 Delivered by: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk At: Geneva Mr. President, Israel\u2019s strike on negotiators in Doha on 9 September was a shocking breach of international law, an assault on regional peace and stability, and a blow against the integrity of mediation and negotiating processes around the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/ohchr-statement-16sep25\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2637,1338],"document-source":[1825],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1769,2265,2005,6848,1741,6845],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-312008","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-remarks","document-category-statement","document-source-office-of-the-united-nations-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-ohchr","document-subject-armed-conflict","document-subject-ceasefire","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-hostages","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-protection-of-civilians","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/312008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/312008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":312057,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/312008\/revisions\/312057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=312008"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=312008"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=312008"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=312008"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=312008"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=312008"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=312008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}