We, the undersigned, express our strongest condemnation of Israel’s recent military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This unprovoked and unlawful use of force constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, including the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, international humanitarian law (IHL), and international human rights law (IHRL).
The attack, which so far has reportedly resulted in the death of at least 657 individuals, and injuries to more than 2037 civilians and military personnel, constitutes an act of aggression prohibited under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and customary international law. No legal justification exists for Israel’s resort to force against Iranian sovereign territory. The notion of preemptive self-defense, often invoked by Israel, lacks any legal basis under international law and is categorically rejected by the vast majority of the international community and authoritative legal bodies.
Moreover, these attacks once again demonstrate Israel’s systematic disregard for international humanitarian law. The deliberate targeting of vital civilian infrastructure, including energy installations, nuclear research facilities, and residential areas, resulting in the reported killing of children, violates the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and customary IHL. Israel’s strike against Iranian nuclear sites is in clear defiance of Article 56 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and customary IHL, prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities due to their catastrophic humanitarian and environmental risks. By targeting such facilities, Israel has recklessly endangered not only Iranian civilians but also the broader region and global environment, displaying a callous disregard for the rules designed to safeguard humanity from the irreversible consequences of radioactive contamination.
These unlawful actions must also be viewed in the broader context of Israel’s ongoing atrocities in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, where its relentless military campaign has led to tens of thousands of civilian casualties, the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, forced displacement, starvation, and ongoing collective punishment — all amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity as affirmed by the International Criminal Court. The failure of the international community — and in particular the UN Security Council — to take effective measures to halt Israel’s unlawful military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen has further encouraged Israel to expand its unlawful measures, now targeting Iran and threatening peace and security across the entire region.
For decades, Israel has perpetrated grave violations of IHL and IHRL and even committed genocide. The persistent failure of the international community to hold Israel accountable has emboldened its leadership to act with increasing contempt for the fundamental rules of international legal order. The silence, inaction, and double standards of powerful States and international institutions have created a system of de facto impunity, enabling Israel to operate outside the framework of international law without consequence.
Israel’s aggression against Iran is not merely a violation of one State’s sovereignty; it constitutes a direct assault on the credibility of the international legal system. Failure to respond decisively would embolden Israel to commit further violations of international law and risks legitimizing future acts of aggression by other States, thereby endangering international peace and security.
We therefore call on:
• The UN Security Council to condemn Israel’s aggression against Iran and to fulfill its primary responsibility under the UN Charter by taking effective and binding measures and holding Israel accountable for its act of aggression and threatening international peace and security;
• The international community to fully support the International Criminal Court and to implement its arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in accordance with their obligations under the Rome Statute;
• The United States and other Western States to cease their unconditional support for Israel, to comply with their international legal obligations, and to uphold the rule of law and the equal application of international legal norms;
• All Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take unified and concrete action to uphold international law, defend the sovereignty of Islamic States, and actively support accountability mechanisms for Israel’s repeated violations, including through legal, diplomatic, and economic measures.
• Protection of civilians in these conflicts, particularly in light of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, especially the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, must be emphasized and upheld. The principles of proportionality and military necessity also require that, even in legitimate military operations, civilian casualties and damage must be minimized as much as possible. Statistics indicate that so far, 90 percent of those affected by war in Iran are civilians. Moreover, healthcare and medical facilities must also be protected from attacks. To date, at least four healthcare centers and hospitals in Iran have been targeted. Violation of these principles may constitute war crimes and could be subject to international prosecution.
Without accountability, there can be no justice. Without justice, there can be no peace.
This statement is endorsed by the following NGOs:
1- Organization for Defending Victims of Violence (ODVV)
2- International Movement for a JUST world (JUST)
