LONDON, (PIC)
Israel’s current use of force in the Gaza Strip is part of a long-standing illegal use of force in the occupied territory, which started in 1967, Arab Organization for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) said.
This was contained in a letter that was forwarded to the leaders of several western nations along with a comprehensive legal opinion that had been commissioned by international law expert Dr. Ralph Wilde.
The Israeli illegal use of force is flagrant aggression and a violation of Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, the letter reads.
“The use of force in its current form, which combines an aerial bombardment and land invasion with a force-enabled siege, also involves violations of international humanitarian law, also known as the laws of war. These violations include grave offenses that qualify as war crimes, as well as violations of the ban on apartheid in particular and racial discrimination in general. Certain breaches can also be seen as a more severe version of earlier events that preceded the current campaign of bombing and land incursion.”
According to the letter, Israel must immediately end its unlawful actions, including its siege on the Gaza Strip, and put an end to all illegal force.
The legal opinion outlines how states can fulfill their duty to take these constructive actions by filing a case under the Genocide Convention with the International Court of Justice, sending a message to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, financially supporting the International Criminal Court’s investigation into the situation in Palestine, and joining the ranks of states that have already backed the State of Palestine’s referral of the matter.
The letter has been sent to several states, including the US, UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Australia, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Canada, Spain, and Morocco.
The letter ended with a request that these nations fulfill their responsibilities and seriously consider adopting the constructive measures mentioned in the opinion.
