Hamas terror and Israel’s bombs
UN human rights activist sees signs of war crimes in Gaza
January 2, 2024, 7:52 a.m
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The war in Israel and the Gaza Strip has been raging for almost three months. The situation in the narrow coastal strip is confusing. Nevertheless, the UN human rights commissioner sees signs of war crimes on both sides.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, sees signs of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in the Gaza war. On the Palestinian side, he mentions the serious terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th and 8th, the indiscriminate firing of projectiles into Israel and the military action from civilian facilities. Regarding Israel, Türk said in Geneva: “If you look at how Israel has responded to this, I have serious concerns about compliance with both human rights and international humanitarian law.” Türk called on Germany and other states to demand that Israel comply with international humanitarian law and to clearly defend the United Nations against massive criticism, including from Israeli government crises.
In the heavy Israeli bombings, 70 percent of those affected were women and minors. “One can assume that the majority of those who were hit are civilians,” said the Austrian. “Furthermore, collective punishment of the Palestinians is a war crime. Of course, courts ultimately have to judge who committed which crimes.”
It is difficult to assess whether there are crimes against humanity there. This refers, for example, to large-scale or systematic attacks against the civilian population. In order to assess this, it must also be examined whether there is a corresponding intention behind it. According to Türk, there are signs that crimes against humanity may have been committed: “Given the disproportionate and very heavy bombings, combined with the lack of effective humanitarian assistance, there are serious concerns that need to be examined further.”
Humanitarian aid made more difficult by bombs
The UN human rights office, which Türk heads, is demanding the release of the hostages abducted from Israel, an end to the aimless attacks by the Islamist Hamas, an end to the Israeli bombings and sufficient access for humanitarian aid. Israel is allowing only a limited number of trucks into the area, and humanitarian organizations say systematic distribution is not possible because of the constant bombing. His office documents human rights violations that are likely to become relevant in future trials, said Türk. This does not change the situation during the hostilities. “But there is also a time after that,” said the Human Rights Commissioner. He is in talks with everyone who has influence on the warring parties, including the USA, European countries, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Iran.
Israel put contact with his office on hold in 2020. This goes back to a list of companies required by the UN Human Rights Council and published at the time that are involved in the construction of illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. The Gaza War was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history. Terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups killed 1,200 people in Israel near the border on October 7th. Nearly 22,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began nearly three months ago, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.