The President of the UN Human Rights Council, Ambassador Jürg Lauber (Switzerland), has appointed Retd. Justice S Muralidhar (India) as Chair of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. He will lead the three-member panel alongside Florence Mumba (Zambia) and Chris Sidoti (Australia), the latter being reappointed.

Established through Human Rights Council Resolution S-30/1 (2021), the Commission is mandated to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in the region, as well as the root causes of recurring conflict, including systemic discrimination. It reports annually to both the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.

In 2024 and 2025, the Council expanded the Commission’s responsibilities to include inquiries into settler violence and arms transfers linked to the Gaza conflict. In September 2025, the Commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.