Accountability and Civilian Protection: Reflections on the Recent OHCHR Report

 

Accountability and Civilian Protection: Reflections on the Recent OHCHR Report

The People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) has received a communication from the Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Republic of India regarding the latest report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), presented before the UN Human Rights Council at its sixty-first session.

The report, titled “Situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” (A/HRC/61/26), covers the period from 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025 and presents a detailed and grave assessment of the situation in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory.

Key Findings of the OHCHR Report

According to the report, serious concerns have been raised under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Among its central findings:

• Large-scale killings of civilians, including women and children

• Extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure, including homes, medical facilities, schools, and places of worship

• Living conditions that threaten the survival of the civilian population

The report also raises alarm regarding the forced displacement of Palestinians. It notes that displacement combined with the absence of guarantees for safe and voluntary return presents credible risks of forcible transfer and ethnic cleansing.

Furthermore, restrictions on humanitarian assistance, destruction of essential services, and denial of access to food, water, and medical care may amount to the use of starvation as a method of warfare — a practice strictly prohibited under international law.

The Imperative of Accountability

The OHCHR underscores that the obligation to protect civilians applies at all times. Military necessity cannot justify collective punishment or disproportionate actions against civilian populations.

The report highlights the persistent absence of accountability for serious violations and warns that continued impunity risks undermining the international legal order and eroding the protection framework established after the Second World War.

PVCHR’s Position

As a human rights organization committed to justice, dignity, and the protection of fundamental freedoms, PVCHR reiterates that civilian protection, accountability, and adherence to international law are universal obligations.

PVCHR remains committed to engaging with national and international human rights mechanisms, civil society partners, and stakeholders to promote peace, justice, and human dignity.

Issued by:
People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR)
Varanasi, India
February 2026