Middle East: Indiscriminate warfare is indefensible and incompatible with law

Deliberate threats, whether in rhetoric or in action, against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become the new norm in warfare.

Any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law. It is indefensible, inhumane and devastating for entire populations.

Across the Middle East, our teams are seeing the destruction of infrastructure essential for civilian life. Power plants, water systems, hospitals, roads, bridges, homes, schools, universities have come under fire. 

Most alarming are potential threats to nuclear facilities. Any miscalculation can cause irreversible consequences for generations to come.

I urgently call on parties to spare civilians and civilian objects in all military operations. It is their obligation under international humanitarian law.

States must respect and ensure respect for the rules of war in both what they say and what they do. The world cannot succumb to a political culture that prioritizes death over life.