The UN has called on the future Israeli government to fundamentally change the country's course and not to continue its current military policy with the belief that it is above international law. The call was made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk the day after the parliamentary elections in Israel.
“The message is: do not continue on the current military course, where you believe you are above international law. I think that is exactly what we are seeing“, Türk said at a press conference in New York. He expressed hope that the next Israeli government would change course “significantly”.
Elections without a clear winner
Israel held parliamentary elections on October 27, 2026. It was the first vote in the country since the “Hamas“ attack on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's “Likud“ party remained the largest political force, but preliminary results did not give any bloc the necessary majority of 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot also said he would try to form a government.
In the absence of a clear majority, coalition talks are ahead. Until a new cabinet is formed, Netanyahu's government continues to function. According to preliminary data, voter turnout reached 77.7 percent.
UN Criticism of Israeli Policy
Turk's call comes against the backdrop of the UN's continued criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The organization insists on compliance with international humanitarian law, protection of civilians and an end to the expansion of Israeli settlements.
According to the UN, settlement policy and plans to expand settlements threaten the territorial integrity of a future Palestinian state and the prospect of a two-state solution. The international organization has repeatedly called on Israel to stop actions that deepen the occupation and delay a political solution.
Turk also described as "unacceptable" the sanctions against the UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. He said the independent experts were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and should not be punished for their work.
The upcoming formation of an Israeli government will show whether the call for change will lead to real political change. So far, it has only been confirmed that the elections did not give any camp enough seats to govern independently, and coalition talks are just beginning.
Sources: apnews.com, aa.com.tr