Iran's human rights council criticizes international bodies over Gaza silence

Iran's High Council for Human Rights issued a statement on Sunday describing Gaza as a test of humanity's conscience and of the credibility of the international human rights system, and said the time had come to end impunity and turn human rights rhetoric into practical action. The council strongly condemned the silence and inaction of international bodies and institutions that claim to defend human rights, calling it a clear sign of a serious crisis of credibility and effectiveness in the international human rights protection system.

The statement said more than three years have passed since the beginning of Israeli military attacks on the Gaza Strip on 17 October 2023, and that even a ceasefire had failed to end the killing and suffering of Palestinians. Citing the latest reports published by Palestinian sources on 10 November 2026, it said the death toll had exceeded 74,000 and the number of injured had surpassed 175,000. Among the victims, it said, were thousands of children, more than 1,700 healthcare workers and hundreds of journalists and media workers. It added that thousands of people remain missing under the rubble and that access to many of them has not been possible. The council said each figure represents a person whose right to life was taken, a child who lost the prospect of a future, a mother who lost her child, a physician killed while trying to save lives, and a journalist targeted for documenting the truth.

The council said continued attacks, the killing of civilians, the destruction of vital infrastructure, the deprivation of adequate access to food, water, medicine and healthcare, and the persistence of humanitarian restrictions even after the ceasefire announcement showed the crisis is not merely a military conflict but a series of ongoing violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. According to published reports, it said, more than 1,600 Palestinians have lost their lives since the ceasefire was established in October 2025, underscoring the need for effective international monitoring and genuine guarantees for the cessation of attacks.

The statement cited the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in attacks, the Fourth Geneva Convention's protection of civilians and prohibition of collective punishment, and Articles 48, 51 and 57 of Additional Protocol I. It also referred to the Rome Statute's recognition of intentional killing of civilians and the use of starvation as a method of warfare as war crimes where legal elements are met. It noted the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants issued on 21 November 2024 against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the International Court of Justice's provisional measures orders in January, March and May 2024 in the South Africa v. Israel case, which it said emphasized preventing acts under the Genocide Convention, ensuring humanitarian access and preserving evidence.

The council called the situation in Gaza one of the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophes of contemporary history and said international accountability has faced serious challenges amid US political and military support for Israel and the complicity or silence of certain Western governments. It called on the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other mechanisms to go beyond verbal condemnations and take immediate, effective measures to end military attacks, fully lift the blockade, ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, protect civilians and ensure the safety of medical personnel and journalists. It also urged independent and impartial investigations and accountability before competent international judicial bodies, and called on states supplying weapons, military support and political backing to uphold their international obligations. According to Mehr News, the council concluded that silence in the face of crime is not neutrality and that Gaza is a test of humanity's conscience.