Sources in Iran report steadily rising numbers of fatalities from Israeli attacks. More than 450 people have reportedly been killed in the country, including dozens of women and children, and more than 1,400 people have reportedly been injured in Israeli airstrikes and missile attacks that began early Friday. Meanwhile, Israeli health authorities say that 24 people have been killed and more than 600 injured by Iranian counter-strikes since Friday.
On Monday, the UN's human rights chief, Volker TĂĽrk, condemned the escalating violence and joined the growing chorus of voices calling for a negotiated end to the attacks.
“The military escalation between Israel and Iran is deeply worrying,” Türk told a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.
“I join all those appealing for de-escalation and urgent diplomatic negotiations to end these attacks and find a way forward. And I call for full respect of international law by both sides, in particular the protection of civilians in densely populated areas.”
From Thursday night into Friday morning, the Israeli military launched the first wave of airstrikes against targets in Iran, including nuclear facilities, at around 3 am local time. The attacks reportedly killed Iranian military and government officials, as well as civilian employees.
On Monday, Israeli forces again targeted civilians when an Israeli airstrike deliberately hit Iran's state TV headquarters. Deliberately directing attacks against the civilian population or individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities is a war crime.
On Sunday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that the surge in violence signals a dangerous escalation, with children paying the ultimate price once again.
“Since Friday, an intense military escalation in the region has seen strikes on Iran and Israel hit residential areas, killing and injuring civilians – including children – and causing damage to civilian infrastructure,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Beyond the death toll, this alarming escalation creates widespread fear and trauma among children in all communities.”
UNICEF strongly condemned all forms of violence against children.
“Our thoughts are with all the families and communities mourning this tragic loss of life,” Russell said.
“We reiterate the Secretary-General's call for all sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation the region and its children cannot afford.”
UNICEF urgently calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law and ensure the protection of civilians, especially children.
“All children have the right to live without the threat of war and violence,” Russell said.
UNICEF said that it is working with other UN agencies and humanitarian partners to actively assess the situation and that it remains ready to scale up support for affected children and their families as needed and requested.
Late Thursday evening (US time), UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Israeli strikes in Iran, urging “maximum restraint” from both sides.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the UN chief condemned any military escalation in the Middle East and recalled the obligation of UN Member States to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
“He is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran while talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran's nuclear program are underway,” said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Guterres asked both sides to show maximum restraint and avoid a descent into deeper conflict at all costs, "a situation that the region can hardly afford."
On Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed deep alarm over the latest hostilities in the Middle East, urgently calling for respect of international humanitarian law (IHL).
“Further escalation in a region already wracked by multiple conflicts risks sparking a broader regional crisis with devastating consequences for all communities, exacerbating existing humanitarian emergencies and displacing more people both within their countries and beyond,” the ICRC said.
On Tuesday, the Red Cross issued another statement in response to the recent escalation of conflict between Israel and Iran.
“Our hearts go out to the civilians caught in the conflict between Iran and Israel. Every life lost, every family affected, is a deep tragedy,” said Nicolas Von Arx, ICRC's Near and Middle East Regional Director.
“Many civilians on both sides have been killed or injured, including members of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Homes have been damaged and livelihoods have been shattered,” he added, noting that many families in Iran are fleeing for safety, while families in Israel are repeatedly forced into shelters.
The ICRC fears that if the conflict intensifies, more civilians will suffer, and the ripple effects will spread far beyond the immediate hostilities in a region that is already experiencing tremendous suffering.
“We call for respect of international humanitarian law and urge immediate de-escalation. Decisive political action is urgently needed to stop the killing and put an end to destruction,” Von Arx said.
G7 leaders fail to uphold international law
International law is straightforward. The UN Charter bans the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any other member state. According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), any major breach may constitute a crime of aggression by the individuals responsible.
The crime of aggression is defined as "the planning, preparation, initiation or execution, by a person in a position effectively to exercise control over or to direct the political or military action of a State, of an act of aggression which, by its character, gravity and scale, constitutes a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations.”
However, at their meeting in Canada on Tuesday, G7 leaders failed to condemn Israeli attacks and the initiation of a war against Iran. The lack of condemnation is particularly concerning given that three of the G7 group — the United States, the United Kingdom, and France — are permanent members of the UN Security Council, which has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, as outlined in the UN Charter.
The other G7 leaders are the prime ministers of Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan. All UN members are bound by the UN Charter and other international agreements ratified by their respective countries, which have become part of domestic law or been incorporated into it.
Iran has condemned the G7 statement that disregarded Israel's “aggression against Iran” as well “as indiscriminate targeting of residential areas and killing of our citizens”.
“Israel has launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran […] in violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter”, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement today, calling on the G7 to abandon “its one-sided rhetoric and address the real source of escalation”.
Unlike the G7 leaders, many regional leaders have condemned the Israeli attack as a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter. Among them are the foreign ministers of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC), which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
On Tuesday, explosions again struck Iran, and missiles hit Israel as the attacks and counter-attacks continued for a fifth straight day.
As Israel and Iran traded devastating missile strikes on Monday and Tuesday, casualties among civilians continued to mount, raising fears that both sides will fail to uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians. At least one side — the attacking nation — is well documented for disregarding the rules of war.
Israel's disregard for international humanitarian law
The Israeli government is notoriously known for its systematic violations of international law, including IHL and human rights law. It neither adheres to basic IHL standards, such as those set forth in the Geneva Conventions, nor to the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions, or rulings of the International Court of Justice — the world court.
International human rights groups and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called on the international community, particularly the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, to protect civilians from unlawful Israeli attacks and to refrain from statements or actions that would legitimize war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other violations of international law, even indirectly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, primarily responsible for launching attacks against Iran, is already wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the situation in Gaza. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November.
In Gaza, Israeli forces continue to commit atrocities on an unseen scale. Israel's war on the territory is marked by widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity — some of the worst crimes known to humanity. Human rights organizations, UN commissions, and human rights experts have even found that Israeli actions amount to genocide against Gaza's population.
The UN Security Council is responsible for enforcing compliance with international law. However, the Council has failed to act for more than twenty months regarding Israeli actions in Gaza, further undermining the international rule of law.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, most of whom were children, women, and the elderly, and injured more than 128,000 others in their attacks on the Gaza Strip. However, the true number of fatalities is estimated to be much higher.
“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed. […] and the attacks continue unabated,” said UN human rights chief Türk on Monday in his update to the Human Rights Council.
“Israel has weaponized food and blocked lifesaving aid. I urge immediate, impartial investigations into deadly attacks on desperate civilians trying to reach food distribution centers. Disturbing, dehumanizing rhetoric from senior Israeli government officials is reminiscent of the gravest of crimes.”
In September 2024, Israel escalated hostilities in Lebanon into a war with thousands of airstrikes carried out across Lebanese territory, creating a major humanitarian emergency with more than 1.7 million people forced to flee.
More than 4,260 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of children and over 240 health workers, have been killed and over 17,500 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 2023, the majority of whom were killed in the course of two months at the end of 2024.
Despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on November 27, Israel continues to violate it through persistent airstrikes, ground operations, and the de facto occupation of Lebanese territory.
“I am concerned by air and drone strikes by Israel in Lebanon, including in southern Beirut, which have killed civilians and destroyed homes and medical facilities. I urge full respect for the ceasefire to enable reconstruction, and the return home of displaced people on both sides of the border,” Türk said on Monday.
In addition, Israel's ongoing airstrikes on Syria have intensified the severe humanitarian crisis in the country even after the fall of the Assad government. These military operations often result in civilian casualties and significant damage to critical infrastructure, further exacerbating the dire situation in Syria.