Abd-AlAti Ongoing Genocidal Crimes by the Occupation Have Turned Gaza into a Disaster Zone Experiencing a Humanitarian Catastrophe
Date:24 Jun 2024
Press Release
Abd-AlAti Ongoing Genocidal Crimes by the Occupation Have Turned Gaza into a Disaster Zone Experiencing a Humanitarian Catastrophe
Dr. Salah Abd-AlAti, lawyer and Chairman of the International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (HESHD), stated: “For nine months now, Gaza has been subjected to ongoing genocide, during which the occupation has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. The occupation state has flagrantly violated all principles of international law and international humanitarian law, deliberately turning Gaza into an uninhabitable disaster zone through policies of starvation, collective punishment, and the destruction of homes, public buildings, services, hospitals, schools, water wells, agricultural lands, and economic and industrial facilities. Additionally, citizens have been forcibly displaced multiple times to exhaust and devastate the population.”
In a televised interview on Al-Qahera News, he added: “This has resulted in the death of over 37,000 martyrs, more than 10,000 missing, and over 86,000 injured since October 7 in Gaza.”
This situation underscores the urgent need to hold the occupation accountable by referring these crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC) under the principle of universal jurisdiction and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Abd-AlAti urged for the formation of a special tribunal for Israeli occupation crimes by the UN Security Council, and if blocked by a U.S. veto, to approach the UN General Assembly under the “Uniting for Peace” resolution to establish such a tribunal. He called on lawyers worldwide to file lawsuits against occupation leaders and their accomplices.
Abd-AlAti detailed mechanisms to hold Israeli officials accountable, emphasizing the importance of opening an investigation by the ICC prosecutor, which should lead to arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. He stressed that this should extend to all Israeli political and military leaders responsible for these crimes.
Moreover, the principle of universal jurisdiction can be used in all countries signatory to international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention, to prosecute occupation leaders and officials.
The ICJ can also hold states accountable, unlike the ICC which prosecutes individuals. A case brought by South Africa, supported by ten other countries, led the ICJ to issue four preliminary measures, keeping the case active and potentially resulting in significant compensation and condemnation of Israel for genocide, despite enforcement challenges due to potential U.S. vetoes blocking the international community’s efforts.
In addition to these methods, Abd-AlAti stated: “A special tribunal for Israeli occupation crimes could be established by the Security Council, but unfortunately, a U.S. veto might block this. The fifth method involves approaching the General Assembly under the ‘Uniting for Peace’ resolution to form such a tribunal. This is possible, along with conscience tribunals, like the first conscience tribunal for Palestine that we helped establish in Geneva a week ago. This tribunal was announced with its judges and will convene annually.”
Abd-AlAti emphasized the importance of international protection mechanisms and contractual mechanisms that allow for holding Israel accountable, including placing it on the blacklist for violating children’s rights, and boycotting Israeli companies and the occupation state at all levels, as it has lost all legitimacy and become a burden on humanity.
Abd-AlAti added the need for an international protection force to safeguard Palestinians, and the formation of an international coalition to enforce UN decisions at a minimum. He called on the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to urgently convene to declare Israel a non-compliant state regarding combat and humanitarian law and to discuss ways to protect Palestinians and impose sanctions on the occupation state.
Abd-AlAti noted that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Since the start of the aggression, the occupation state has imposed collective punishment on Gaza, closed all crossings, cut off all electricity, water, and fuel supplies, hindered and prevented the entry of humanitarian aid, medicines, and medical supplies, and banned humanitarian teams and international organizations, including UNRWA, from operating. This created a reality of displacement for international institutions, including the Red Cross, UNRWA, and the World Food Program, which were forced to evacuate from northern Gaza to the south and then gradually to other areas, halting their operations at many stages. This included targeting police and security agencies that were securing the aid, closing crossings, and finally destroying all facilities at the Rafah crossing completely, aiming to alter Gaza’s geography.
Abd-AlAti warned of an impending famine, noting that the aid flowing through the main crossings is insufficient to meet the needs of Gaza’s residents, constituting only 8% of the requirement according to international institutions. He highlighted the importance of humanitarian aid flow and the opening of humanitarian corridors to evacuate the wounded and sick, and provide medical supplies and fuel to ensure the continued operation of medical institutions, and to run generators at hospitals and some vital facilities such as sewage and water systems.
Abd-AlAti pointed out the occupation’s insistence on continuing its plans, refusing to implement Security Council decisions and ICJ measures, continuing to invade and destroy Rafah, and closing crossings, particularly Rafah, which has exacerbated severe famine across Gaza.
Abd-AlAti stated that the occupation targets women and children, who form the majority of the casualties during the Israeli aggression on Gaza, aiming to annihilate Palestinians. He highlighted the danger of Israel dehumanizing Palestinians through the statements of occupation leaders and numerous fatwas from Israeli rabbis calling for the killing of Palestinians, especially women and children. Israeli racism believes that today’s children are tomorrow’s enemies and that a good Arab is a dead Arab. Thus, they do not differentiate between women, children, and young people, and committing the most heinous international crimes against Palestinians clarifies the true nature of the Israeli occupation entity and its fascist and racist Zionist ideology.
Abd-AlAti called on the world’s free people, states, peoples, and institutions not to become accustomed to what is happening in Gaza and to escalate political, diplomatic, popular, and legal movements to support the rights of the Palestinian people and work to end the Israeli occupation and hold it accountable for its crimes.
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