Srinivasan Muralidhar, a retired Indian judge and former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, is currently chairing the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
The commission recently released a report accusing Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza and alleging genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Israel has rejected the report, calling it “a propaganda piece” and accusing the commission of bias.
All About Srinivasan Muralidhar
Muralidhar began his legal career in Chennai before practising in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. In 1990, he topped the Supreme Court’s Advocate-on-Record examination and later
served as a member of the Law Commission of India. He was subsequently appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court before becoming Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, from where he retired in 2023.
During his judicial career, he delivered several landmark rulings. He was part of the bench that contributed to the decriminalisation of homosexuality, upheld the conviction of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, and conducted emergency hearings during the 2020 Delhi riots to ensure safe passage for victims. He also publicly criticised the Delhi Police over its handling of the violence before being transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court and later appointed Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.
As head of the UN commission, Justice Muralidhar said, “Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law.” He added: “By targeting children, Israel is attacking the very capacity of the Palestinian people to exist and to determine their future.”
What UN Body Had Claimed
The commission said Palestinian children were deliberately targeted and killed during the conflict, including after a ceasefire that came into effect in October last. It said this was a key element establishing genocidal intent by Israeli authorities and security forces to destroy the Palestinian group, in whole or in part, in Gaza.
“The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces,” said commission chair Srinivasan Muralidhar in a statement.
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