During Tuesday's Human Rights Council debate in Geneva, the United Nations rights chief said Israel undermined regional peace and stability in last week's attack on Hamas leaders, who were in Qatar to negotiate a ceasefire.
"Israel's 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," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told delegates.
The airstrike risked undermining negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza's nearly two-year-old war, he said.
The strike, which Hamas says killed five of its members but not its leadership, has prompted U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states to close ranks. Arab and Islamic states held a summit in Doha on Monday to back Qatar.
Israel's ambassador in Geneva, speaking to reporters before the session, which Israel did not attend, called the debate a one-sided attack on Israel.
"This marks yet another shameful chapter in the Human Rights Council's ongoing abuse serving as a platform for anti-Israel propaganda, while ignoring the brutal realities on the ground and the atrocities committed by Hamas," Daniel Meron said.
Qatar urged council members to hold Israel accountable. The Israeli strike on Doha amounted to "state terrorism" and a direct threat to regional stability, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, told the Tuesday's debate.
Saudi Arabia's envoy in Geneva, Abdulmohsen Majed Binkhothaila, said, "Israeli actions are no longer sporadic violations, they constitute a systematic behaviour based on the indiscriminate killings ... and forced displacement in violation of all international norms and laws."
Algeria and Pakistan joined Qatar in condemning Israel, while the European Union expressed its solidarity with Qatar.
Separately on Tuesday, a U.N. Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, accusations Israel strongly rejected as it launched a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
More than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran’s nationwide protests, according to rights activists, as monitors reported a slight return of internet connectivity following an eight-day shutdown.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that allied supplies of air defence systems and missiles were insufficient as Russia prepares new large-scale attacks.
Poland plans to expand its armed forces to 500,000 by 2039, including 300,000 active-duty troops and 200,000 reservists, officials said Friday. The enlarged force would feature a new high-readiness reserve unit.
Kyiv is facing its most severe wartime energy crisis, with the capital receiving only about half the electricity it needs, Mayor Vitali Klitschko told Reuters on Friday.
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