In just three weeks, 8,300 civilians (including 3,400 infants, infants, and children) were killed, airstrikes on unarmed civilian facilities such as hospitals and schools, supply of water, food, electricity, and fuel were cut off, wired and wireless communication facilities were attacked, and relief supplies were brought in. block···.
These are war crimes prohibited by international humanitarian law, also known as the law of war. These are all acts committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, under the pretext of exercising its right to self-defense against attacks by Hamas.
On the 30th (local time), the 24th day of the outbreak of war, Israel increased the level of ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, ignoring international humanitarian law. The horrified UN, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and international human rights groups appealed for compliance with international law and a halt to the attack, but they did not listen.
① More than 8,000 civilians have already died
According to the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health, 8,306 Palestinians, including 3,457 children, have died as of the 29th. The number of deaths (approximately 5,400) resulting from the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas since 2007, when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, has far exceeded the number. This is more than five times the number of Israelis (about 1,400) who died in the Hamas attack on the 7th. At least 20,242 people were injured.
International humanitarian law prohibits intentional attacks on civilians (principle of distinction) and also prohibits attacks that result in civilian casualties exceeding the expected military benefit (principle of proportionality). Israel appears to have no intention of adhering to these two principles. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized on the 29th, saying, “The scale of civilian casualties resulting from this war is unacceptable,” and added, “The whole world is witnessing a humanitarian disaster.”
The Israeli military poured more than 8,000 rockets into the Gaza Strip (41 km long and 10 km wide), where about 2.3 million people live densely. The justification was to deal a blow to Hamas, which concealed its military facilities deep underground and in civilian areas and hid behind ‘human shields’ such as civilians and hostages. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzy Halevi said on the 28th, “Every victory comes at a price.”
“From the beginning, there was no way to separate Hamas members from the 2.3 million civilians,” said Robert Pape, an international security expert and professor of political science at the University of Chicago.
② Water, electricity, and fuel were cut off, and communication was cut off… “War crime”
The Gaza Strip is surrounded by a high wall built by Israel. Even before the war, it was called ‘the largest prison in the world’ as residents were not allowed to enter freely. They mostly depended on Israel for water, food, electricity, fuel, etc., but Israel cut off all supplies three days after the start of the war. Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned on the 10th, “Any type of attack that threatens the lives of civilians by blocking the supply of goods essential for their survival is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” but Israel did not lift the blockade.
Wired and wireless communications were cut off for about 34 hours after Israel began a large-scale ground war on the 27th. Air raid warnings, rescue requests, confirmation of life and death, and media reports of damage were impossible. U.S. officials told the New York Times that “Israel is responsible for the communications blackout.”
The Gaza Strip is rapidly collapsing. The British Economist analyzed satellite images taken six months before the war and on the 24th, and found that 23,947 buildings (9.2% of all buildings) were destroyed in 18 days after the war broke out. As a result, at least 225,270 people lost their homes. The UN estimates that there are more than 1 million refugees.
Since the 21st, relief supplies have been brought in through the Rafah passage in the southern Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, but at a condescending level. A total of 118 relief trucks, including 24 on the 29th, were supplied with supplies. Residents pushed to their limits began looting. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said, “On the 28th, thousands of residents stormed into the UN aid warehouse and stole flour and soap,” adding, “It is a worrying sign that order is breaking down.”
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan visited the Rafah passage on the 29th and warned, “The delivery of relief supplies must not be interrupted in any way,” and added, “If you interfere with this, you may be subject to criminal liability.” Blocking the delivery of aid constitutes a war crime handled by the ICC.
③ “Reporter ‘targeted attack’ while reporting”
Suspicions were also raised that the Israeli military targeted reporters짱구카지노 도메인 who were covering the story. According to the Associated Press, Reporters Without Borders issued a statement on the 29th and claimed, “Based on analysis of video footage from the time of the attack, it appears that the Reuters journalist who died at the border between Israel and Lebanon was intentionally bombed by the Israeli military.” . At the time of his death, he was wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest with the words ‘Press’ written on it.
The killing of journalists is a grave threat to press freedom and a violation of international law. Reporters Without Borders said, “We are investigating a similar attack on Al Jazeera reporters in southern Lebanon on the 9th.”
④ Will the ‘wartime refuge’ hospital become a scapegoat again?
The Israeli army is also attacking hospitals, the last bastion of life during war. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Israeli military issued an emergency evacuation order for people at Al-Quds Hospital, the second largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, on the 29th. The Palestinian Red Crescent (Arab Red Cross) said on this day, “A bomb was dropped 50 meters away in Al Quds,” and “attacks are continuing repeatedly.” This hospital has over 12,000 refugees and over 500 patients.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said, “It is impossible to evacuate critically ill patients to another location while protecting their lives,” and added, “Hospitals, medical staff, and ambulances must be protected without exception.” “Indian law provides for it,” he said.
Due to the rapid increase in civilian casualties, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the 30th. However, no matter what the conclusion is, the UN’s decision is insufficient to put a stop to Israel’s war crimes because it is a result of ‘political pressure’.