LHR condemns Israeli human rights violations in Gaza

Johannesburg - Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) strongly condemns Israel's aggressive military action in Gaza and supports recent statements by the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) that call for independent investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law.  The UN's Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, has characterized the Israeli offensive as containing "...severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regards to the obligations of an occupying power and in the requirements of the laws of war."

Israel's conduct and responsibilities as an occupying power is governed by the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols - a system of legal safeguards outlining the behaviour of combating parties during an armed conflict. The Fourth Geneva Convention specifically protects civilians in times of armed conflict and occupation. South Africa and Israel are both signatories to the Conventions and their Protocols. LHR also notes that Hamas is required to observe international humanitarian law, and to refrain from using weapons that do not distinguish between civilian and military targets.

Israeli attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and are therefore war crimes.  To date, Israel has killed at least 920 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians, including 292 children, and has further wounded thousands of civilians. In addition, Israeli military attacks have resulted in the widespread destruction of civilian property including homes, schools, police stations, hospitals, ambulances, mosques, a university, education and justice ministries, prisons, courts and farms.

Israel's assault on Gaza cannot be classified as "self-defence" as Israel claims. An armed attack not justified by self-defence is deemed to be a war of aggression. However, even if Israel was defending itself, it is still bound by the international law principle of proportionality and obligated to observe the laws of wars and refrain from committing war crimes. 

In joining the international  consensus, LHR calls for an immediate ceasefire and an lifting of the blockade on Gaza.  LHR furthermore calls on the South African government to sanction Israel for its human rights violations and to support the UN's call for an investigation and prosecution of Israel's war crimes.

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Lawyers for Human Rights is an independent human rights organization with a thirty-year track record of human rights activism and public interest litigation in South Africa. LHR provides free legal services to poor and indigent people from six law clinics around the country

For further information contact

Adv Jacob van Garderen

National Director: Lawyers for Human Rights

+27 (0)12 - 320 2943

jacob [at] lhr [dot] org [dot] za