Date12: Feb 2024
Urgent Appeal to the International Community
Savage Israeli Attack on Rafah City Calls for Immediate Action to Halt Aggression and Defend Human Rights in Gaza
The International Commission “Hashd “condemns in the strongest terms the brutal targeting of Rafah City this morning by Israeli forces. The city, home to approximately one and a half million citizens, has witnessed relentless bombardment and destruction of civilian homes and displaced shelters. This ruthless aggression has resulted in the deaths of 67 civilians, the injury of 200 others, and the obliteration of dozens of homes, leaving residents homeless. Furthermore, three mosques serving as shelters for displaced persons have been bombed.
This heinous assault reflects the Israeli occupation’s blatant disregard for humanitarian values, international law, and the decisions of the International Court of Justice. It underscores the deliberate military plans aimed at perpetuating the genocide and forced displacement of Gaza’s population beyond Palestinian territories. Urgent international intervention is imperative to halt the aggression and prevent the Israeli occupation forces from expanding their ground offensive on Rafah, which serves as the last refuge for forcibly displaced civilians. Failure to act swiftly will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe with irreversible consequences, claiming the lives of thousands and collapsing the healthcare and humanitarian services in Gaza.
The International Commission “Hashd”: The Israeli occupation persists in defying all international warnings and calls for adherence to international law, as evidenced by its continued perpetration of genocide and its declaration of intent to invade Rafah. This reckless disregard for human life and disregard for the catastrophic conditions of civilians necessitates urgent international action. Additionally, Israel’s imposition of collective punishment, destruction of the healthcare sector, hindrance of medical evacuations, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and impediment of international organizations’ work underscore the urgent need for sanctions against Israel and its leaders and their prosecution before the International Criminal Court.
The International Commission “Hashd”: Over the past 129 days, nearly 28,340 Palestinians have been killed, 68,000 have been injured, and around 4,000 have been arbitrarily detained, tortured, and deprived of their legal rights. Additionally, approximately 8,000 cases of missing persons have been documented, with the majority buried under the rubble of their targeted homes, where American-made missiles and internationally banned weapons have been used to commit nearly 2,500 massacres. Furthermore, more than 75% of civilian buildings and infrastructure in Gaza have been destroyed.
The International Commission “Hashd”: The continuation of military support, American bias, and the international community’s silence, inaction, and betrayal of its ethical and legal responsibilities amount to complicity in the ongoing aggression. The international human family must take practical measures to prevent genocide, ensure international protection for civilians, and address the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Failure to act promptly means sacrificing the lives of 2.3 million people. International humanitarian intervention is urgently needed to stop the largest genocide and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Israeli forces against the people of Gaza.
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