Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday urged Leaders are calling for combative rhetoric as conflict continues in the Middle East, warning that further escalation could lead to devastating civilian casualties and regional instability.
Commenting on the extreme unrest in the region, HRW Executive Director Philippe Bolopion said:
As the Middle East conflict has expanded and intensified, so has the dangerous rhetoric from leaders on all sides, including open threats to commit war crimes…This explosive combination, building on the longstanding failure of world leaders to hold those responsible for serious violations of international law to account, threatens the rules-based order that has long sought to protect civilians.
HRW criticized official statements by the government, such as US President Donald Trump, which suggested possible violations of the laws of war. In particular, the group condemned a opinion from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in which he said the U.S. “will keep pushing, keep pushing, no mercy, no mercy for our enemies.” HRW claimed that such an order constituted a violation Rule 46 customary international humanitarian law or the “No Quarter Rule”.
The “No Quarter” rule is a strict ban against ordering, threatening or conducting hostilities in which there are no survivors, and forms the backbone of the principle that the only legitimate aim of war is to weaken the enemy’s forces and not to inflict unnecessary suffering.
Iranian authorities have been accused of crimes against humanity before, including in early January when they carried out mass arrests massacre of national demonstrators. The regime recently escalated its threats against protesters, vowing to deliver an “even harder blow than” previous crackdowns. Israeli officials have also been repeatedly accused of simply using illegal force on its territory and beyond Article 2 paragraph 4 of the UN Charter.
The US attack on an elementary school that resulted in the deaths of children, the use of white phosphorus by Israeli forces over homes in Lebanon, Iranian attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the use of illegal substances Cluster munitions against Israel all constitute serious violations of the laws of war.
Chaos in the Middle East broke out when the US and Israel coordinated surprise attacks on Iran’s missile infrastructure, air bases and military sites on February 28. The attacks led to the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, sending shockwaves across the region and prompting retaliation Threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah and the Iranian Army.
This was reported by the UN refugee agency 884,000 people were internally displaced in the first week of attacks, deepening the humanitarian crisis as families are forced out of their homes and have limited access to food and water.
