New York - Gaza: Europe and the Arabs
An independent UN expert in the field of human rights said that five months after the attack on Gaza, Israel has lost “all credibility regarding its claims to protect civilians in the besieged Strip,” she said.
Paula Gaviria Bettencourt, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, said that Israeli evacuation orders “did not make the residents of Gaza safer. Quite the contrary, these orders were used to forcibly transfer the civilian population and detain them in conditions unfit for human habitation.” According to what was reported in the daily news bulletin of the United Nations today
She went on to say: “I was appalled to hear that Israel intends to extend these orders to Rafah – the only refuge for approximately 70 percent of Gaza’s surviving population and the only still functioning humanitarian entry point – if its demands are not met in the negotiations it has set.” A deadline, unilaterally, of March 10.”
Although Rafah is already under periodic attack by Israeli forces, the Special Rapporteur warned that a large-scale ground attack would lead to unimaginable suffering. She warned that any evacuation order imposed on Rafah under the current circumstances, with the rest of Gaza reduced to rubble, “would amount to a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, forcing people to flee to conditions of certain death represented by deprivation of food and water.” Health care and shelter.”
A rare neglect in modern history
Bettencourt said that few internal displacement crises in modern history could be characterized by such a comprehensive disregard for the rights of displaced people. She continued, saying: “Displaced people in Gaza have been arbitrarily removed from their homes several times without any regard for their rights to life, dignity, freedom and security. It is impossible to envision any permanent solution to their displacement, given Israel’s systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure - including homes, hospitals, schools and markets.” And places of worship - in addition to the enormous psychological toll that the conflict has had on the people of Gaza.”
She stressed that preventing arbitrary displacement and providing protection, assistance and durable solutions for the displaced “is neither optional nor an act of charity,” but rather are obligations that Israel, as the occupying power, bears under international law.
The Special Rapporteur condemned what she described as Israel's continued efforts to obstruct humanitarian aid and use it as a weapon, including through attacks on civilians seeking assistance. She went on to say:
“Humanitarian assistance is urgently needed to alleviate the enormous suffering of the people of Gaza as well as to prevent further displacement, including possible cross-border displacement. A month ago, the International Court of Justice issued a binding order for Israel to take immediate and effective measures to allow the provision of essential services and humanitarian assistance to Gaza, as part of the measures required to prevent the commission of genocide.”
"UNRWA smear campaign"
The independent expert said that Israel, instead, immediately launched a campaign to discredit UNRWA and freeze its funding, “based on allegations that Israel has not yet provided any reliable evidence publicly,” as she put it.
The independent UN expert said, "Israel continued to attack aid convoys and health facilities, impose arbitrary restrictions on the movement of humanitarian workers, and did little to hold Israeli citizens accountable for obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid." As a result, hunger and disease are rampant, causing people to die alongside Israeli military operations.
The Special Rapporteur said that what is most worrying is that Israel appears to have expanded the scope of its attack on humanitarian aid to “systematically” target the aid seekers themselves, noting reports that hundreds were killed and injured during two Israeli attacks on civilians queuing for food aid on February 29. And March 1.
Bettencourt said this adds to "a pattern of deliberate targeting of civilians seeking health care, such as the horrific killing of a six-year-old girl by Israeli forces while she was waiting for an ambulance, in January."
“Palestinian lives are not just statistics”
The Special Rapporteur said: “I am horrified by the heinousness of the killing of civilians when they are in their most vulnerable state and asking for basic assistance. These constitute brutal crimes of the first degree.”
It indicated that more than 5% of the population of Gaza had been killed, injured or missing, and more than 75% of the population had been displaced, since Israel began its military campaign. The Special Rapporteur urged the international community to remember the humanity of these victims.
She went on to say: “The lives of Palestinians are not just statistics. These are families struggling to make ends meet, loved ones separated, children trying to find joy in the midst of unimaginable psychological trauma, and people like no other anywhere.”
The UN expert called on the international community to "abandon the illusion that Israel will respect the principles of international humanitarian law and human rights law in its military operations." She stressed that an immediate and permanent ceasefire - along with meaningful measures to document and ensure accountability for atrocities as well as secure the basic rights of Palestinians in Gaza - is the only way forward for our common humanity.
It is noteworthy that special rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is an intergovernmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world. Rapporteurs and experts are tasked with studying human rights situations and submitting reports on them to the Human Rights Council. It should be noted that this position is honorary, and these experts are not considered employees of the United Nations and do not receive compensation for their work.