Many Palestinians lost their lives and were injured as a result of Israel's bombardment of the settlement in the northwest of Rafah, which was home to displaced Palestinian civilians and declared as a safe zone by the United Nations (UN). (1)
In the decision given on 24 May 2024 in the South Africa v. Israel case, which continues to be heard before the International Court of Justice, it was ruled that Israel's military attacks in Rafah should be stopped immediately and the Rafah Border Crossing should be kept open so that the needed humanitarian aid can reach Gaza. The attack carried out by Israel against Palestinian civilians displaced in the Rafah region, just three days after the decision, clearly violates international law and the norms of the international law of armed conflict. The genocidal attacks carried out by Israel in the Rafah region of the Gaza Strip have reached a level that threatens the lives of innocent civilians living in the region and who took shelter in the tent city here as a safe zone as a last resort, and damaged human dignity. This humanitarian tragedy, in which women, the elderly and innocent civilians were killed and children were burned to death, has now turned into an open atrocity committed in front of the eyes of the whole world.
It is obvious that international judicial mechanisms and the international community need to take action with great devotion and determination in order to end Israel's attacks, which have been continuing in Palestine since October 7, 2023, as soon as possible. In this context, it is very important that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on May 20, 2024, on the grounds that “there is sufficient evidence that they committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinians.”
Within the context of 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, wilful killing, inhumane treatment and torture of civilians under protection are prohibited. In particular, the injured, the elderly, the sick, children and women who are in need of protection must be removed from conflict zones and reach safe areas, and all kinds of military activities in these regions must be completely prohibited. According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, bombing areas that are not defenseless or military targets, deliberately killing civilians, subjecting them to inhumane treatment, and deliberately inflicting great suffering on their bodies constitute war crimes.
As the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, we once again condemn Israel's systematic and widespread attacks against the civilian population in Gaza, which constitute genocide and war crimes, and call on the international community to take the necessary steps to end this brutality and ensure permanent peace in the region. We invite actors to take action and remind them of the need to implement international judicial decisions against Israel and comply with international law.
Respectfully announced to the public.