UN Calls for Restraint and Negotiations Amid Middle East Conflict Escalation

The United Nations, through human rights chief Volker Turk, has urged all parties involved in the Middle East conflict to exercise restraint and end the violence. Since the conflict began on February 28 with attacks involving Israel, the US, Iran, and Hezbollah, civilian casualties and infrastructure damage have escalated. Turk expressed deep shock at the impact on civilians and called for adherence to the laws of war and a return to negotiations. Iran reported 168 deaths in a strike on a girls' school in Minab, prompting calls for an impartial investigation.