Israel could not have chosen a worse timing for its displays of military acumen. Over at the ICC Review Conference at Kampala a coalition of international humanitarian NGOs have issued a no-bones-about-it statement against the flotilla attack:
This tragedy is the result of the prolonged impunity granted to Israel by the international community, despite Israel’s documented, persistent disregard for international and humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and its violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to life. Many of these violations also entail criminal responsibility; however, so far no concrete action has been taken and impunity is a long standing feature of Israel’s illegal occupation policy.
[...]
Therefore, the undersigned organizations call for the illegal closure of the Gaza Strip to be immediately lifted and urge:
- The ICC Prosecutor to make an urgent determination regarding the opening of an investigation into the situation in the OPT.
- The UN Secretary General: to urgently address the UN Security Council with respect to the ongoing impunity crisis in Israel and the OPT in order to engage all appropriate international mechanisms.
- The UN Security Council: to refer the situation to the ICC.
- All States Parties to the ICC: to take all appropriate measure, at the diplomatic and legal levels, to uphold the rule of law in the OPT
- The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: to urgently visit the Gaza Strip.
- Israel to comply with their international legal obligation and cooperate with investigative authority.
The full text of the press statement can be found here.
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