Israel -Iran: Türk calls for restraint and respect for international humanitarian law

The wide-scale, continuing attacks by Israel across Iran, and the missile and drone strikes launched in response by Iran, are inflicting severe human rights and humanitarian impacts on civilians, and risk setting the whole region ablaze.

The extensive airstrikes and missile and drone attacks have already caused significant harm beyond military objectives. They have killed and injured civilians and damaged extensive civilian objects, such as medical infrastructure, residential buildings, water pipelines, and oil and gas facilities. The latest official Iranian figures cite 224 people dead, while human rights groups have reported over double that number, and many more injured. Official figures in Israel refer to at least 24 people dead and over 840 injured. A large and increasing number of civilians are being displaced, notably from Tehran following evacuation warnings covering wide swathes of the capital.

I recall the fundamental tenets of international humanitarian law - binding both parties – which demand full respect in the conduct of hostilities for the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions, and which prohibit indiscriminate attacks as well as deliberate attacks on civilians or civilian objects.

It is appalling to see how civilians are treated as collateral damage in the conduct of hostilities. Threats and inflammatory rhetoric by senior officials on both sides suggest a worrying intention to inflict harm on civilians.

The only way out of this spiralling illogic of escalation is maximum restraint, full respect for international law, and return in good faith to the negotiating table.