The International Commission Hashd Accuses Israel of Being a Rogue Entity Engaging in State Terrorism Violating Humanitarian Values and International Law

Number: 105/2023

Date: October 8, 2023

Press Release

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (Hashd) declares that Israel is a rogue entity engaged in state terrorism in an alarming and organized manner, disregarding humanitarian values and principles of international law.

Israeli warplanes continue for the second consecutive day to carry out extensive military attacks in Gaza, intensifying the bombing of residential towers, multi-story buildings, government buildings, charity organization headquarters, mosques, civilian facilities, and homes, resulting in the loss of lives of individuals from targeted families. According to the latest statistics from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, these airstrikes have led to the deaths of 320 civilians, bringing the total number of martyrs since the beginning of the year to 572, with nearly 2,000 civilians sustaining various injuries. Additionally, 12 residential buildings have been destroyed, and 1,210 homes and civilian structures have been damaged.

The Israeli military operation in Gaza is escalating unprecedentedly, amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis due to the tightened siege imposed on Gaza by closing all border crossings. This comes alongside the Israeli Minister of Energy’s announcement of cutting off electricity supplies to Gaza.  There is also a severe shortage of medical equipment and supplies in Gaza’s hospitals, warning of a recurrence of the same horrific scenes witnessed during previous Israeli military operations. This is exacerbated by the increasing number of forcibly displaced Palestinian civilians, reaching around 40,000, including 20,300 who sought refuge in UNRWA schools.

The Israeli attacks and airstrikes on Gaza coincide with the ongoing commission of crimes against Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territories, leading to the martyrdom of 7 civilians in the West Bank and Jerusalem in recent hours.

The International Body for the Support of Palestinian People’s Rights, ” Hashd” reaffirms the Palestinian people’s right to resist the occupier by all available means, recognized under international law. It emphasizes that the Israeli military doctrine has turned civilians and their properties into military targets, in blatant violation of the rules of international humanitarian law and the provisions of the Hague and Geneva Conventions. ” Hashd “warns of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza amid the continued military escalation by the Israeli occupation forces, electricity cuts, and suffocating blockade measures affecting all aspects of Palestinian civilian life. ” Hashd “records and demands the following:

• ” Hashd “condemns the ongoing international and regional conspiracy of silence regarding the heinous crimes committed by the belligerent Israeli authorities.
• ” Hashd “calls upon the parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to declare a clear and explicit stance regarding Israel’s refusal to adhere to and implement the Convention in the Palestinian territories and to work towards providing protection for civilians.
• ” Hashd “calls on the international community to take serious action to stop Israeli war crimes and prevent the expansion of aggression, open a humanitarian corridor to support the health sector and facilitate relief efforts, and pressure the Israeli occupying state to abide by the principles and rules established in both the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the First Additional Protocol of 1977.
• ” Hashd “urges the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court to include the crimes committed in Gaza in the file of Israeli crimes currently under investigation, and to expedite the commencement of preliminary investigations to put an end to the policy of procrastination and prevent Israeli leaders from escaping accountability.
• ” Hashd “calls on the international solidarity movement with the Palestinian people, as well as all Arab, regional, and international organizations, to take legal, political, diplomatic, humanitarian, and grassroots actions to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

End

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (Hashd)