United Nations Human Rights Council: On 27-11-2025, the President of the Human Rights Council (“HRC”), Ambassador Jürg Lauber appointed Former Chief Justice of Orissa High Court and Senior Advocate Dr. S. Muralidhar as the Chair of the three-person body of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel (“the Commission”). Other two members would be Justice Florence Mumba (Zambia) and Mr. Chris Sidoti (Australia), who had previously served as a member of the Commission.
About the Commission:
In 2021, via resolution S-30/1, the HRC decided to “urgently establish an ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of international human rights law leading up and since 13-4-2021”. The resolution further requested the Commission to investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.
The Commission is mandated to report annually to the HRC and to the UN General Assembly.
In 2024, the HRC passed further resolutions requesting the Commission to present reports to it on settlers and on sales of arms including those used during the Israeli military operation in Gaza since 07-10-2023. In September 2025, the Commission concluded in its report that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.