Ref: 59/2021
Date: 13 May 2021
Timing: 01:00 am
Original Lang.: Arabic
Press release,
ICSPR: Israel is a “rogue entity” that practices terror in an alarming manner that denies human values and principles
Over the past two days, the Israeli military occupation forces continued to carry out a large-scale military attack on the Gaza Strip, using all its arsenal, as it continued to target innocent civilians and their homes and civilian properties; it escalated its bombing of residential towers, destroying multi-storey buildings and homes on the heads of their residents.
It also escalated the deliberate targeting of governmental and police facilities and headquarters alike, in addition to targeting one of the banks operating in the Gaza Strip, and targeting agricultural lands and a number of training sites belonging to the Palestinian resistance factions, which resulted until yesterday evening ” May 12″ in the martyrdom of 65 civilians, including 16 children, 5 women and an elderly, and injured 365 others. Moreover, it destroyed dozens of homes and residential units, as well as the complete destruction of two residential towers, and severe damage to a third.
The Israeli aggression and airstrikes on the Gaza Strip coincided with the continued perpetration of crimes by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territories and in Jerusalem, in addition to the continued application of field execution policies against unarmed Palestinian civilians.
This aggression comes amid the continued closure of all border crossings, which will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, especially since the Electricity Generating Company announced that the fuel stock in the only power plant in the Gaza Strip is about to run out at the end of this week, and thus there is a serious risk of completely stopping the power station in case the Kerem Shalom crossing continues to be closed and fuel shipments are prevented from entering the station.
The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights “ICSPR” warns of worsening the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in light of the continuing military escalation of the Israeli occupation forces, and the threat to expand these operations and the accompanying stifling siege measures that affect all aspects of life. ICSPR deplores the continuation of international and regional silence regarding the heinous crimes committed by the military occupation authorities, and stresses the need for the occupation state to abide by all the legal and ethical rules imposed by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, according to the requirements of the real situation and the worsening humanitarian crisis. Therefore:
1. ICSPR urges the international community to work seriously to open a humanitarian corridor to support the health sector and facilitate relief work, and to pressure the occupation state to abide by the principles and rules established in both, the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the First Additional Protocol of 1977.
2. ICSPR calls on the international community and international humanitarian organizations to work hard in order to find an agreement that guarantees the application of Article (XV) of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which stipulates that “ Any Party to the conflict may, either direct or through a neutral State or some humanitarian organization, propose to the adverse Party to establish, in the regions where fighting is taking place, neutralized zones intended to shelter from the effects of war the following persons, without distinction: (a) wounded and sick combatants or non-combatants; (b) civilian persons who take no part in hostilities, and who, while they reside in the zones, perform no work of a military character.
3. ICSPR calls on the states contracting to the Fourth Geneva Convention to declare a clear and explicit position on Israel’s refusal to abide by and implement the agreement in the Palestinian territories, especially since Israel is a signatory to the convention.
4. ICSPR calls on the Registry of the International Criminal Court to work seriously in a manner that ensures the urgent implementation of the decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber in the Court issued on Friday, 7/13/2017, according to which the Registry of the Court ordered the establishment of a special system for information and awareness-raising activities in favor of victims and affected population, and the creation of an information page on the court’s website, dedicated to the victims in Palestine.
5. ICSPR demands the Palestinian leadership and diplomacy to exert more efforts with the International Criminal Court, to urge it to take a step forward towards opening an international investigation into international crimes committed by the occupation forces, to ensure that Israeli criminals do not go unpunished.
6. 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
