Türk said evidence from destroyed sites must be preserved for ongoing legal proceedings and called for international investigators to be granted access to all parts of Gaza. Families, he added, had a right to know the fate of their relatives and the full circumstances surrounding their deaths.

On Gaza, Türk said Israel had killed more than 1,300 Palestinians in daily strikes despite a ceasefire announced almost a year earlier, while continuing to limit humanitarian aid. He condemned proposals for the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and urged States to stop arms transfers that could be used to violate international law.