World must 'urgently contain' Middle East escalation: UN rights chief

'Lebanon is becoming a key flashpoint,' warns Volker Turk, expressing concern over extensive displacement orders

The UN human rights chief on Friday said the world "urgently needs" to contain the Middle East escalation amid US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Volker Turk said instead of de-escalation, the world is witnessing “more inflammatory, bellicose rhetoric, more bombings, more destruction, killings, and escalation that fuels it further." He voiced "significant concerns" about respect for international humanitarian law, particularly regarding the conduct of hostilities. He also highlighted reports of an attack on a school, emphasizing that civilian sites must be protected. "Obviously, this is clearly a civilian institution that should never be attacked," he said. Turk called for accountability and investigations into alleged violations. "What we have asked for is obviously prompt, transparent, and impartial investigations, which we understand have been announced by the United States of America," the UN rights chief said. Asked about his messages to the US and Israel, he said: "The messages are, de-escalate. Go back to the negotiating table and find a way not to use methods of war and military-type actions as your means of achieving something." "It's never going to work," Turk added. He noted that he will be in Washington, DC, later this month, saying: "We will see what this will bring." He voiced particular concern over developments in Lebanon, including large-scale displacement orders. "Lebanon is becoming a key flashpoint," Turk warned, saying he is "extremely concerned and worried about the latest developments following Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and Israel’s heavy counterstrikes, as well as its extensive displacement orders that have already forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes." "I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities," he added. Regarding the reported use of AI, he said that his office does not know exactly the details of what type of systems are being used, but added: "It is very clear from an international human rights perspective that you need to have human control over the exercise of weapons, and if that is not the case, we are obviously very worried."