Israel must be held
accountable to international law
Foreign Ministers urged to sponsor an
international protection force for the Occupied Palestinian Territories
(E/57/2001)
BADIL Resource Center - LAW
Society
23 October 2001
For Immediate Release
Yesterday, a group of some ten
Palestinian NGOs, human rights organizations and institutions issued a
joint letter urgently appealing to various foreign ministers around the
world for clarification of their respective governments' positions
regarding the violent Israeli military incursions into multiple "A
Areas." The letter was addressed to: all
member states of the European Union, including current president, Belgium;
the G-8 states (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., the U.S.
and the Russian Federation); and key states in the non-aligned
movement.
The letter made several
demands, including for an international protection force for the occupied
Palestinian territories as soon as possible, for example under the
auspices of the European Union, and for the convening of the High
Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to ensure that Israel
applies that Convention "de jure" to
the OPTs.
Within the past 24-48 hours,
an initiative directed at the UN Security Council has been renewed to pass
a resolution sponsoring a protection force for the population of the
occupied territories. Yesterday's letter to the foreign ministries adds
important support to this Security Council initiative.
Since early 18 October and continuing through today, Israel's savage
military assault upon six Palestinian "Area A" population
centers has shown a level of barbarity and utter disrespect for even the
minimal standards of international law that has characterized Ariel
Sharon's entire political and military career. The deliberate lethal
targeting by Israeli snipers of civilians in the street, in their schools,
in grocery stores, in their homes and in churches and mosques, the
deliberate shelling of hospitals and refugee camps, and the heartless
refusal to let
a pregnant woman in labor proceed to hospital resulting in her death by
hemorrhaging at a military checkpoint, should remind the world, yet again,
that Ariel Sharon and his henchmen remain unredeemedly bent upon the utter
subjugation of the Palestinian people.
The true goals of Israel's political and military oligarchy are revealed
in episodes like this. Since Israel has again reminded the world community
so blatantly of its complete lack of military self-control, it is
absolutely incumbent upon the international community to take concerted
action to reign in Israel's homicidal military juggernaut. The joint
letter stressed that Israel's incursions and attacks upon Palestinian
civilians violate international law for several reasons. First, Israel's
entire occupation is illegal, as has been recognized in numerous UN
resolutions. Second, for as long as Israel persists in maintaining its
illegal occupation, it is bound to comply fully with international
humanitarian law, which categorically prohibits attacks upon civilian
areas and any form of collective punishment.
Additionally, the deliberate targeting of civilians constitutes
"willful killings" or "willfully causing serious
injury," both of which are classified as "war crimes" under
the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court.
The letter was signed and endorsed by the following organizations: Al-Mezan
Center for Human Rights (Gaza); BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian
Residency and Refugee Rights (Bethlehem); the Jerusalem Center for Human
Rights (Jerusalem); the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights
(Jerusalem); LAW -- The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human
Rights and the Environment (Jerusalem); MIFTAH -- The
Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy
(Ramallah); Palestinian Center for Human Rights (Gaza); Palestinian
Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights (Gaza and Ramallah); the
Palestinian Women Women's Society for Development (Ramallah and Nablus).
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