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Former Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court and Senior Advocate S Muralidhar has been appointed as the Chair of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. The appointment was announced by UN Human Rights Council President Ambassador Jürg Lauber, placing Muralidhar at the helm of the three-member Commission mandated to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
According to an official statement, Justice Muralidhar would lead the panel alongside Florence Mumba of Zambia and Chris Sidoti of Australia, with Sidoti being reappointed. Justice Muralidhar will serve as Chair of the three-member body.
The Human Rights Council decided to “urgently establish an ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of international human rights law leading up and since 13 April 2021”, the press release stated.
Ambassador Lauber confirmed that Justice Muralidhar succeeds Brazilian expert Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, who previously served as Chair of the Commission. According to copy 1, the Commission’s mandate includes examining “all alleged violations,” identifying those responsible, and making recommendations “to ensure accountability and justice for victims.”
The resolution further mandated the panel to examine the “root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and the protracted nature of the conflict,” including systemic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.
In 2024, the Human Rights Council expanded the Commission’s scope, directing it to submit additional reports on Israeli settlers and on arms transfers, including weapons used during Israeli military operations in Gaza after October 7, 2023. In its report released in September 2025, the Commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Justice Muralidhar, a senior Indian jurist, practised at the Supreme Court of India for nearly two decades and served as counsel for the National Human Rights Commission. He was appointed a Judge of the Delhi High Court in 2006 before assuming office as Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court in 2021. Following his retirement in 2023, he returned to legal practice and was designated a Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court.
Florence Mumba, a Zambian judge and human rights advocate, has served as Vice-President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and played a key role in international efforts recognising rape as a war crime. Chris Sidoti is an international human rights lawyer who has served as Australian Human Rights Commissioner and advised multiple UN bodies and national human rights institutions.
