UN rights chief: Israel is causing ‘unconscionable suffering' in Gaza
NewsFeed UN rights chief: Israel is causing 'unconscionable suffering' in Gaza
UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the 'horrifying, unconscionable suffering' inflicted by Israel in Gaza. Speaking at a Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Switzerland, he accused Israel of blocking life-saving aid and called for impartial investigations on deadly attacks on civilians.
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Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Athlete, Pilates instructor, teacher: Human toll of Israel's attack on Iran
Israel's attacks on Tehran have not only targeted military bases and nuclear sites, but they also have penetrated the bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms of ordinary citizens. Children have been killed. Teachers have fallen silent. Athletes have been buried in the rubble. All of them were as far removed from politics as possible. The attacks between Israel and Iran started on Friday, when Israel launched what it called preemptive air strikes targeting more than a dozen Iranian sites — including key nuclear facilities, nuclear scientists and military leaders — in an operation it said was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, at least 224 people have been killed and 1,481 wounded. Iran has retaliated with a wave of ballistic missile strikes against Israel, claiming the lives of at least 24 people and wounding 380, in an escalation that has raised fears of a broader regional conflict. In Tehran, the full scale of the destruction remains to be seen. But in the streets, evidence of the lives lost emerges from the wreckage of bombed-out buildings. A child's lifeless body in the rubble. A dirt-covered doll abandoned in the street. A sketchbook lost among the concrete and dust. For many Iranians, these scenes evoke memories of the Iran-Iraq War. But this time, the war is not at the borders; it's in the heart of the capital. Residents say the night sky in Tehran — now dotted with missiles and fires — is not the one they know. In a mass panic, people are fleeing the city in droves. Petrol stations are overrun. Highways are jammed. Homes that once promised safety stand vulnerable with no emergency shelters or warning sirens. Here are some of the victims who died in the recent attacks on Tehran. On Saturday morning, Tehran reeked of dust and smoke. Israeli missiles had landed on homes that were filled with laughter just hours before. One of the silenced voices belonged to Niloufar Ghalehvand, whose friend Ghazal* recalled the last time she saw her at a cafe sipping coffee, just one night before the bombs fell. Ghalehvand, a 32-year-old Pilates instructor, was killed along with her father, Kamran Ghalehvand, and her mother, Fatemeh Sedighi, in their home on Ozgol Street in northern Tehran. 'We were at the cafe, having coffee, and she said, 'Iran is so beautiful. I just wish we could live in peace, like people in other countries,'' Ghazal told Al Jazeera. 'I still can't believe she's gone. We were making plans to celebrate her 32nd birthday on June 28. She was so full of hope.' Ghazal said Ghalehvand lived near the residence of Iran's highest-ranking military commander, General Mohammad Bagheri, the target of the strike. 'They were ordinary people,' Ghazal said of Ghalehvand's family. 'They didn't engage in political activity.' Ghalehvand dreamed of becoming a famous Pilates instructor. 'The last time we met, she asked me to help her launch an Instagram page to post her workout videos. She never imagined she would become famous for her death.' Ghalehvand had been a professional instructor for eight years, but Ghazal said her income was never enough. She worked on commission at local gyms and was always seeking more private clients. On Friday morning, Parsa Mansour, a 27-year-old professional paddle tennis player, was asleep at home in Shahrara, a densely packed district in northern Tehran, when an Israeli missile struck nearby. The blast shattered the windows, and debris collapsed on top of him, killing him instantly. His parents, who were in the next room, miraculously survived. 'Parsa was full of laughter and always joking,' said Saman*, his best friend. He noted that Parsa was a self-made athlete who trained alone without a coach. 'When I saw the Tennis Federation's announcement of his death, I was in shock. I didn't believe it at first. Then I went to his home. It was in ruins,' Saman said. 'Parsa's father is in a terrible state. He still can't believe his son is gone.' On Sunday afternoon, Amin Ahmad, a 30-year-old taekwondo athlete, witnessed his father's horrific death in eastern Tehran. 'I saw it with my own eyes,' said Ahmad. 'My father was blasted out of the house. His face was burned, and his ears were torn off.' Ahmad's voice trembled as he recalled his father's final moments. 'We were trapped inside. I had to force the window bars open and call out for help. Someone brought a ladder, and my mother and I escaped,' he said. 'My father was a teacher. He bought this home after a lifetime of hard work, so he could retire in peace. Now he's dead, and the house is destroyed. What was his crime? I don't know what to do.' On Sunday at midday, after two nights of Israeli fighter jets buzzing Iranian airspace, an explosion struck the relatively wealthy neighbourhood of Tajrish in northern Tehran. Water pipes burst, flooding the streets. Ehsan Bayrami, a 35-year-old freelance photographer and graphic designer who was walking nearby, was killed instantly. Ali*, a colleague, said Bayrami had just left a work meeting and was on his way home. 'He used to film videos for sports clubs and photograph sporting events,' Ali explained. On Sunday morning, he recalled telling Bayrami to be careful. 'He told me not to worry because it's safe during the day. 'Israel only attacks at night when people are asleep,' he said.' Ali paused before adding, 'Ehsan was incredibly talented and hardworking. He never let anything stop him from working.' *Ghazal, Saman and Ali preferred not to use their full names while speaking with Al Jazeera to protect their identities. This article is published in collaboration with the news consortium Egab.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Who will have the upper hand: Israel or Iran?
It's been several days now since Israel launched its surprise attack on Iran. The conflict has since escalated with each side launching dozens of strikes. And because the warring sides don't share a border, the attacks have largely been focused on air strikes. While Iran may have the largest stock of missiles and drones in the Middle East, Israel's air force is considered one of the most powerful in the world – and its air defence system, one of the most advanced. And more crucially, Israel has the backing of the United States. So is one military at a clear advantage? Will the length of the conflict make a difference? And are there other factors at play in this conflict? Presenter: Nick Clark Guests: Mamoun Abu Nowar – retired Jordanian air force general Marina Miron – military analyst and researcher in the War Studies Department at King's College London Justin Bronk – senior research fellow for airpower and technology at the Royal United Services Institute
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Israel bombs Iran's state TV after threatening it would ‘disappear'
Israel has attacked the Iranian state broadcaster IRIB and interrupted a live broadcast with an explosion, marking another escalation in the conflict with Tehran and replicating its previous attacks on news media targets in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon. TV anchor Sahar Emami denounced Monday's 'aggression against the homeland' and the 'truth' as a blast went off and smoke and debris filled the screen. The footage then showed her fleeing the studio as a voice is heard calling, 'God is greatest.' The attack came shortly after the Israeli military issued a threat for Tehran's District Three, where IRIB's headquarters is located, and Defence Minister Israel Katz said: 'The Iranian propaganda and incitement mouthpiece is on its way to disappear.' Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Israel of committing a 'wicked act' that constitutes a war crime and of being the number one 'killer of journalists and media people'. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has counted 178 journalists killed in Gaza by Israel since October 2023, making it the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded. 'The UNSC [United Nations Security Council] must act now to stop the genocidal aggressor from committing further atrocities against our people,' Baghaei wrote on X. The CPJ said it was 'appalled' by Israel's attack on Iranian state TV and argued impunity for the killings of Palestinian journalists had 'emboldened' the country to target media elsewhere. 'This bloodshed must end now,' the organisation said on X. Peyman Jebelli, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), said the organisation's headquarters was attacked because the Iranian media are 'precisely targeting the depth of the enemy's media strategy'. In a statement quoted by the semiofficial Mehr News Agency, he said employees at the national media outlet 'loudly declare' their determination to play their roles in the 'hybrid war' initiated by Israel. Iranian journalist Younes Shadlou said many of his colleagues were inside the building when the Israeli attack happened. 'I don't know how many of my colleagues are still inside right now,' he reported from outside the burning building in Tehran 'We had been given evacuation warnings, but everyone stayed until the very last moment to show the true face of the Zionist regime to the world.' Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari said the strike was highly symbolic because it targeted an entity with close links to the Iranian government. 'The head of the network is appointed by the supreme leader directly, so it is a significant part of the establishment,' Jabbari said. 'This is going to be a great shock for the Iranian people,' she continued. The station is located in a large, fortified complex that has a long history dating back to the 1940s. The channel is the most watched inside Iran, and Emami is a renowned anchor. The attack should, therefore, be seen as 'a huge message for Iran and the general public and [it] is going to create all kinds of fears', Jabbari said. Al Jazeera's Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said Israel targeted a glass building known as the IRIB's central building. The live broadcast was briefly disrupted, but Emami went back on TV shortly after the blast, which would likely increase her popularity, the journalist said. The number of victims remains unclear. Foad Izadi, professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, said he feared there would be 'a lot of casualties' from the attack. 'It's a huge building,' he told Al Jazeera. 'Iran's news channel is located on the first floor. It has four floors, and on every floor, you have at least 200 to 300 people working.' Izadi said he expected the attack to spark international outrage and be condemned by international media outlets. The Israeli military confirmed in a statement that it has bombed the building of Iran's state broadcaster in Tehran. 'This centre was used by the armed forces to promote military operations under civilian cover, while using its own means and assets,' it said, without giving any evidence for its accusations. Israel has a history of attacking media organisations and journalists, most recently in Gaza. In October, it targeted Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar TV studios in southern Beirut during a wave of strikes on Lebanon. In May 2021, it targeted and destroyed the 11-storey al-Jalaa building in Gaza City, housing Al Jazeera and The Associated Press. Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian American Al Jazeera journalist, was killed by Israeli forces in May 2022 in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. She was a veteran television correspondent who became a household name across the Arab world for her bold coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
