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GENEVA: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday urged all parties to place human rights at the center of efforts to rebuild Gaza and establish a lasting peace, emphasizing that the ongoing ceasefire should serve as a foundation for sustainable security and stability.

Volker Turk said that while there was widespread relief at signs of an end to the war and humanitarian suffering, significant work remained to ensure lasting peace, justice and accountability for serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law over the past two years.

He called for the full inclusion of all Palestinians in decision-making processes, regardless of age, gender or disability, and for the restoration of access to food, clean water, housing, medical care and education, alongside the protection of children’s rights to play and safety.

Turk also stressed that human rights must guide political efforts and the pursuit of a two-state solution in line with UN Security Council resolutions, General Assembly mandates, Human Rights Council recommendations, the New York Declaration and relevant International Court of Justice advisory opinions.

He underscored the importance of unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, international staff, journalists, protection workers and human rights observers, ensuring that they can operate freely throughout Gaza.

Also on Friday, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian met EU policy advisers on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues conference in Naples.

She emphasized the need for the EU to take concrete measures to safeguard the Gaza ceasefire’s continuation, including strict monitoring of its implementation and preventing violations by Israeli forces.

Aghabekian also called for the US peace plan to align with the New York Declaration to advance a two-state solution and preserve Palestinian territorial unity.

She urged signatory countries, including EU member states, to take practical steps to implement the declaration’s provisions and support a just, lasting peace grounded in human rights and accountability.