UN Experts Say Israel's Action Against International Humanitarian Law Must Be Given Consequences

Palestinian casualties from Israeli attacks. (Source: WAFA)

JAKARTA - An independent group of human rights experts said in a joint statement Monday that Israel must face the consequences of its campaign to weaken the legal framework for protecting civilians in armed conflict.

Instead of complying with binding international humanitarian laws on the protection of civilian objects, Israel, UN experts say, "Israel has been publicly against it many times, causing maximum suffering to civilians in occupied Palestinian territories and beyond," WAFA reported December 31.

Citing Israel's most horrific offenses, experts highlight crimes against humanity including murder, torture, sexual violence, and repeated forced transfers that constitute forced transfer, war crimes that include indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including objects indispensable for the survival of civilians and educational institutions and cultural heritage.

Experts also highlight the use of hunger as a weapons of war, targeting health care workers and health facilities, attacks on humanitarian workers, arbitrary restrictions on access to humanitarian aid, and attacks on journalists, collective penalties, and betrayal.

"Political and judicial actors must consider the totality of these actions against all civilians under Israeli occupation, who are protected persons who are not military targets according to international law," experts say.

"Actions aimed at their destruction as a whole or partly genocide," they stressed.

Furthermore, experts highlight with concerns what is happening in northern Gaza, where they say Israel has violated its obligations as an occupational force.

"Indiscriminate attacks, including shelters for refugees and Kamal Adwan Hospital and its surroundings, and rising siege conditions in northern Gaza over the past three months are against Israel's legal obligations to ensure the protection of civilians," experts said.

"We are disturbed that this siege, coupled with the expansion of the evacuation order, appears to be meant to permanently displacing local residents as a sign of Gaza's annexation which is a further violation of international law," he continued.

"The International Court has acknowledged a violation of the law and confirmed that Israel must end its continued existence in an unconditionally occupied Palestinian territory and impose temporary binding measures against Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza, while the Prime Minister of Israel and former Minister of Defense are sought by the International Criminal Court," the experts said.

"Nevertheless, Israel continues to face real consequences, largely because of the protection offered by its allies, who have acted so far by joining Israel in delegitizing international institutions and defaming the mandate holders of the Special Procedure," they said.

In the statement, experts reiterated the urgency to allow independent and thorough investigations into serious violations of international law.

"Israel's continued immunity sends dangerous messages showing that parties in other conflicts around the world do not need to comply with their obligations based on international humanitarian law," experts said.

"We must not lose the power of the multilateral system. Israel and its leaders must be held accountable," they concluded.