ICSPR: calls on the International Community and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to open an independent investigation into the growing suspicions regarding the military occupation forces’ use of chemical and toxic weapons and modern technologies that deliberately cause changes in the basic elements of the environment.

Ref: 68/2021

Date:20 May 2021

Original Lang.:Arabic

Press Release

ICSPR: calls on the International Community and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to open an independent investigation into the growing suspicions regarding the military occupation forces’ use of chemical and toxic weapons and modern technologies that deliberately cause changes in the basic elements of the environment.

The Israeli military forces continue their military operations in the Gaza Strip for the eleventh day in a row, where the Israeli military attacks -until 11:30 am (Thursday, May 20)- has led to the martyrdom of (230) civilians, including (65) children, (39) women, (17) elderly, and injured (1710) others.

The Israeli occupation forces deliberately and systematically target civilians and civilian properties and facilities, especially residential homes located in densely populated neighborhoods, with the aim of killing children and women, displacing thousands of families, and inflicting severe material damage to the residential environment of these facilities.

There are strong suspicions that the occupation forces use bombs and missiles that spread chemical gases upon explosion, where residents of the targeted areas smell gases that cause suffocation and irritation in the eyes.

Over the past few hours, the military occupation forces have intensified their targeting of the main roads and streets in all governorates of the Gaza Strip, causing severe damage to the infrastructure, homes and properties of Palestinian civilians.

The Israeli retaliatory and indiscriminate attacks aim to punish civilians and impose collective punishment in which voiceless concussion weapons are used, causing widespread destruction in the targeted areas, very similar to an earthquake, which may indicate the deliberate use of weapons and technologies to cause changes in the elements of the environment.

The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights “ICSPR” reaffirms the right of the Palestinian people to resist the occupier by all available means, as a right recognized in international law, and it holds the occupation forces and the government of the United States of America accountable for the lives of the Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory, and warns of worsening the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in light of the continued Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

ICSPR also affirms that the Israeli disdain for the system of law, justice and international action encourages it to continue committing war crimes and genocide, including the use of artillery shells and aerial missiles containing chemicals that are prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the use of modern weapons and technologies aimed at harming the elements of the environment, and it stresses that scorched-earth doctrine is a well-entrenched doctrine in the Israeli occupation. Therefore:

ICSPR calls on the International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to contribute and intervene by opening an independent investigation into the growing suspicions regarding the military occupation forces’ use of chemical and toxic weapons.

ICSPR urges the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court to include the crimes committed in the Gaza Strip in the file of the Israeli crimes that are being investigated, especially in light of the growing suspicions of using chemical and toxic weapons, and modern weapons and technologies that cause a change in the basic elements of the environment, with the intention of exterminating the Palestinian people.

ICSPR calls on the Security Council and the High Contracting Parties to the four Geneva Conventions to stop the ongoing genocides and war crimes, and to impose a ban on Israeli military aviation.

ICSPR renews its call for the United Nations General Assembly to convene (in the format United for Peace) to provide international protection for Palestinian civilians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and to announce a program to end the Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian territories.

ICSPR calls on the International Human Rights Council to exceptionally convene to consider forming an international fact-finding committee to investigate the Israeli crimes, that part of which -until the moment- has led to the extermination of more than 17 whole families.

ICSPR calls on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to provide adequate care services for the thousands of civilians who sought refuge in its schools in the Gaza Strip.

ICSPR calls for a diplomatic and popular action to pressure governments around the world to carry out their moral and legal duties to stop targeting civilians, women, children, and journalists.

ICSPR urges the international movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people, and all Arab, regional and international organizations to move on all legal, political, diplomatic, human rights and public levels, to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

ICSPR