The Arab Association for Human Rights warns that the amplification of the Israeli military engagement in the Gaza Strip, the start of ground operations, and the continued aerial and ground bombardment only exacerbates the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. So far, Israeli military action has caused the deaths of over 500 and has wounded over 2400, mostly civilians, including women and children. This has come about by the indiscriminate bombing of civilian facilities, which constitutes a war crime and a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilians during times of war. The humanitarian tragedy is intensified owing to the continued siege and closure of the border crossings which prevent humanitarian and medical aid from reaching Palestinian hospitals dealing with the consequences of the Israeli aggression and in particular with the large number of casualties among civilians.

 

The failure of the United Nations to take an active decision to stop the aggression brings to mind the scenario of international failure to stop the Israeli assault on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 and the United States' use of the veto to prevent the Security Council from carrying out its moral and legal duty. This not only provides further evidence of the powerlessness of the United Nations and the double standards at play. Rather, this is testament to the provision of cover and international approval, as well as giving Israel "the time necessary" to complete the military operation, without any consideration for the continuation of crimes against humanity and violations of human rights in the Gaza Strip.

 

The statements of the Czech presidency of the European Union, which considered the military operations as "defensive", constitute an acceptance, justification, international legitimization and encouragement of Israeli crimes against innocent civilians. The inability of the international community, and in particular the European Union, and its official institutions to take the simplest steps to stop the aggression and protect civilians makes human rights and international conventions subject to political manipulations and allows for the policy of double standards to persist.

 

The Arab Association for Human Rights, in light of the continuing Israeli war crimes against our people in Gaza, calls upon:

 

1.   The United Nations and particularly the UN Security Council to carry out its legal duties to stop the aggression and protect civilians. It also calls for the formation of an international judicial team to document the war crimes and bring the war criminals, both the politicians and the military, to international justice.

 

2.      The world’s governments and particularly the European Union to carry out their legal and ethical duties and stop providing political cover for the aggression in expressing understanding or providing justification for such actions. Rather, they should take a clear position in line with the principles and standards of international humanitarian law and human rights conventions and to interpret the resolutions between the European Union and the countries in the region in practical steps.

 

3.      International civil and community organizations to take immediate action to provide the necessary support, in particular the equipment and medical teams to deal with the magnitude of the casualties amongst Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

 

4.      Arab civil and community organizations to take action to open the borders crossings, primarily the Rafah crossing, in order to provide for the passage of humanitarian  assistance, and particularly medical teams and equipment, to support the hospitals in Gaza in providing the necessary assistance to the thousands of wounded.