The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | HRC
Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel
At UN, war crimes probe pledges to continue to work for all impacted by Hamas-Israel conflict
As President Trump launched the international Board of Peace plan for Gaza on Thursday, top independent rights experts tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with investigating grave abuses linked to the Hamas-Israel war pledged to continue their work seeking justice and accountability for all.
“The Board of Peace has been set up pursuant to a plan that was submitted to the Security Council that has been voted upon and accepted,” said Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and in Israel. “As a Commission of Inquiry, we see our task as investigating into violations of human rights. And that task we understand to be the mandate that the UN has given us - and we will continue with that mandate.”
The Commission of Inquiry – one of the Human Rights Council’s top investigative mechanisms - was set up by the forum’s 47 Member States in May 2021. In November last year, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2803 welcoming the establishment of the Board of Peace to redevelop Gaza.
Last September, the Commission’s then Chair, former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay, declared that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in response to Hamas-led terror attacks that killed some 1,200 people in Israel in October 2023, sparking the war. Israel strongly denied that claim.
“We need to investigate violations of human rights by all duty-bearers and in both territories,” said Mr. Muralidhar, who expressed hope that the Commission’s earlier findings “hopefully will feed into some adjudicatory system to deliver lasting justice to the people in those in these two territories”.
On the agenda this year, the Commission plans to investigate “attacks by armed Palestinian militias on others within these two territories”, he continued, before stressing the independent nature of the panel.
Responding to questions about the Board of Peace, the chief investigator said that he expected the peace plan it was pursuing “to accommodate the interests of all the people in the conflict zone”.
At a press conference in Geneva, the panel of independent human rights experts – who do not work for the UN and are not paid for their work – also condemned the reported killing of three Palestinian journalists in central Gaza in a reported Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.
“When you're killing a journalist, it means you have something to hide, because if you have nothing to hide, you are going to call the journalist so that they look at what is happening and tell the world,” said Florence Mumba, Commissioner. “Because without journalists, many people in other corners of the world wouldn't know what is happening. So, we feel concerned about that disruption of the work of the journalists and we do hope as a Commission that journalists will not be deterred.”
Commission of Inquiry on OPT including East Jerusalem and Israel
TRT: 2’33”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 22 JANUARY 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Speakers:
- Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel;
- Florence Mumba, Commissioner;
- Chris Sidoti, Commissioner.
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide, UN Geneva Press room, podium speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission: “We need to investigate violations of human rights by all duty-bearers and in both territories. For instance, we will be looking at even the attacks by armed Palestinian militias on others within these two territories; so, we wish to emphasise that this is an independent investigating body.”
- Wide, podium speakers, journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission: “The Board of Peace has been set up pursuant to a plan that was submitted to the Security Council that has been voted upon and accepted. As a Commission of Inquiry, we see our task as investigating into violations of human rights. And that task we understand to be the mandate that the UN has given us and we will continue with that mandate.”
- Medium-wide, TV screens showing podium speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission: “We expect the peace plan to accommodate the interests of all the people in the conflict zone. And we don't find anything there that can possibly hinder the work of this Commission and we would expect, as we always did earlier, the complete cooperation of all the authorities in both territories of Israel and Palestine.”
- Medium-wide, podium speakers, journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Chris Sidoti, Commissioner: “Israel needs to think very carefully before it rejects the work that UNRWA has done, the important work that has relieved Israel of its obligations; and of course, there will be consequences for human rights because of what UNRWA has done; children have a right to education, all people have a right to the highest attainable standard [of] physical and mental health.”
- Medium-wide, podium speakers, TV screen showing speaker, photographer.
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Florence Mumba, Commissioner: “When you're killing a journalist, it means you have something to hide, because if you have nothing to hide, you are going to call the journalist so that they look at what is happening and tell the world. Because without journalists, many people in other corners of the world wouldn't know what is happening. So, we feel concerned about that disruption of the work of the journalists and we do hope as a Commission that journalists will not be deterred.”
- Medium, journalist.
- Medium, photographer.
- Medium, journalist.
Similar Stories
3
1
Edited News | UNITED NATIONS , OCHA , UNHCR
Ukraine enters fifth year of war: Attacks and displacement deepen human suffering amid mounting recovery challenges
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UN officials took stock of the immense human and economic toll of the conflict while appealing to the world to “never get used to war.”
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , UNHCR , UNICEF , UNOG
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by Matthias Schmale, Assistant Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine (from Kyiv); Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR’s Regional Director for Europe and Refugee Regional Coordinator for Ukraine and Jonathan Crickx, UNICEF Chief of Communication in the State of Palestine (from Jerusalem)
27
1
Press Conferences , Images | PGA , UNOG
Human Rights Council and priorities for the remainder of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), including the UN80 reform initiative, the selection and appointment process of the next UN Secretary-General, and defending the UN Charter. Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland - 24 February 2026
2
27
2
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | General Assembly , UNITED NATIONS
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.
1
48
1
1
Edited News | UNOG
A ceremony marking the completion of the construction of the Portail des Nations, a soon-to-open visitors centre for the UN in Geneva, was held today for diplomats from around the world who have gathered in the Swiss city for the opening session of the Human Rights Council.
48
1
Images | UNOG
A ceremony marking the completion of the construction of the Portail des Nations, a soon-to-open visitors centre for the UN in Geneva
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his opening remarks to the 61str session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
10
1
1
Edited News | HRC , SG
In Geneva, delegates from more than 120 countries gathered on Monday to mark 20 years of the UN Human Rights Council and a shared commitment to international law, amid runaway global instability and conflict, amid runaway global instability and conflict.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office has published a report on the grave human rights abuses suffered by the hundreds of thousands of people trafficked into scam operations mostly in southeast Asia.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Marta Hurtado briefed journalists on a UN report detailing child trafficking by gangs and how it is putting Haiti’s future at risk.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO , IFRC , UN WOMEN
Ukraine’s women at breaking point after four years of war as attacks on energy, healthcare continue – UN humanitarians
Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, millions in Ukraine struggle to keep the lights on and heat their homes, with the crisis taking a particular toll on women, humanitarians warned on Friday.