Ghazza : Call for independent enquiry into Israel's violation of humanitarian law

09 Jan 2009
 Alkarama for Human Rights has been following events in the Ghazza strip closely from the beginning of the current crisis to try to establish a factual assessment, via our sources, of what is happening on the ground. We are deeply saddened at the ongoing violence in the occupied territory. It fully backs the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Secretary General's calls for an immediate halt to all violence by all parties to the conflict, in order to allow humanitarian assistance to reach the civilian population.

Furthermore, as the United Nations and international community firmly condemned the terrorist attacks on the UN installation in Baghdad in August 2003 and in Algiers in December 2007, Alkarama calls for firm condemnation of the attack by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's (UNRWA) Al-Fakhura school in Jabaliya. Such an attack can only be labeled as a terrorist act committed by a state, Israel, and must therefore be addressed within the framework of UN resolutions and the international Law. The coordinates of this school had been given to the IDF by UNRWA and was serving as temporary shelter for civilians unable to go anywhere else to escape the violence, but was nevertheless attacked in an Israeli strike which killed over 40 civilians on Tuesday 6 January 2009.

UNRWA has confirmed that there were no militants hiding inside the school and Chris Gunness, UNRWA Spokesperson, affirms that he has "been authorized to say that in private briefings with diplomats, the Israeli army has admitted that the rockets from Jabalya (two days ago) came from outside the UNRWA school compound, not from inside it. Therefore the allegations against a neutral UN human development organization were entirely baseless. This increases pressure for an independent investigation. "

Alkarama supports this call by UNRWA for an independent inquiry into the violations of humanitarian law in this conflict which is extracting a heavy toll on Palestinian civilians.

Finally, Alkarama emphasizes the need, when compiling casualty lists, to remember the clear distinction made between combatants and civilians in international humanitarian law: a combatant is designated by a uniform, distinctive sign or by carrying arms. This must be taken into account when quoting civilian casualties.

 As was described by John Ging, UNRWA Director of Operations in Ghazza, "There's nowhere safe in Ghazza. Everyone here is terrorized and traumatized.  These men, women and children are all seeking safety and there is no safety in Ghazza at the moment, even in an UNRWA school. This is unacceptable." Alkarama urges all parties to the conflict as well as the international community to take immediate action to bring the human suffering in Ghazza to an end.

For more information or an interview, please contact media@alkarama.org (Dir: +41 22 734 1008).

Palestine
Armed conflict