The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said war crimes had been committed by both Israel and Hamas in the conflict that erupted just over a month ago, Reuters reports.

“The atrocities perpetrated by Palestinian armed groups on 7 October were heinous, they were war crimes — as is the continued holding of hostages,” Volker Turk said at the Rafah crossing in Egypt on the border with Gaza.

“The collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians is also a war crime, as is unlawful forcible evacuation of civilians,” he added.