GAZA, Thursday, May 09, 2019 (WAFA) – The international humanitarian charity organization, ActionAid, said today that Israel’s deliberate targeting of civilians in the most recent bombardment of the Gaza Strip constitutes a war crime.
It accused the United States and the European Union of being complicit to the Israeli crimes by criticizing the Palestinians for firing rockets into Israel while not saying anything about Israel’s heavy bombardment of the Gaza Strip that killed 27 Palestinians in two days, including three women, two of them pregnant, and two babies, and injured 154 more, as well as the total destruction of 130 houses, with 700 more partially damaged.
In addition, 780 Palestinians are now displaced as a result of this recent escalation of targeted attacks against civilians, 44% of whom are children. One mosque, four medical facilities, five media houses and 10 civil institutions were also damaged or destroyed.
“Deliberately targeting journalists, health workers, women, children and infants is a war crime,” said ActionAid.
It accused world leaders of “turning a blind eye to Israel’s unlawful occupation, protracted blockade and persistent breaches of international law.”
Ibrahim Ibraigheth, ActionAid Palestine’s Country Director, said “war crimes, including the targeted killing of women, children, journalists and health workers cannot continue in broad daylight, unremarked on by countries which claim to represent freedom and justice.”
He called on world leaders to make sure the new government Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently working to put together respects international law.
“The catastrophic living conditions in the Gaza Strip are unbearable. The Israeli blockade of health and sanitation supplies constitutes punishment policy and also clearly violates international law. The UN must step up and hold Israel to account for its flagrant violation of global agreements, otherwise hopes for this latest truce to hold are probably naïve,” said Ibraigheth
In the recent Commission of Inquiry by UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk in March 2019, on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Israel was found to be in non-compliance with more than 40 resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and more than 100 resolutions of the General Assembly.
“As an occupying power, Israel is accountable and must respect and uphold the rights of Palestinian people, including the right to freedom of movement, decent life, protection, education, work and self-determination,” said ActionAid.
It said it had to pause its programs in Gaza because of the danger of airstrikes targeting civilian infrastructure. The charity enables life-saving services to reach the worst affected communities in Gaza, where 97% of water is undrinkable and tainted by raw sewage, unfit for humans. Israel controls the flow of fuel and supplies needed in Gaza to make the water safe.
“ActionAid supports partners, living and working in Gaza, by providing diesel to help pump clean water and ensure sewage can be treated. Being forced to stop this work is incredibly dangerous and could spell an outbreak of deadly diseases such as cholera,” said Ibraigheth.
Israel’s 13 years of blockade of Gaza and targeting of civilians destroys lives and prevents progress, said ActionAid, calling on the EU and all signatories of UN Geneva Convention to apply all possible diplomatic pressure on Israel to fulfill its commitments under international law.
M.K.
