Former EU Envoy: Forced Transfer of Palestinians in Gaza Would be a War Crime
www.democracynow.org
Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, recently retired European Union ambassador to Palestine, says Israeli pain and anger cannot justify war crimes in Gaza, where Israeli bombardment has already killed over 1,500 people. Now with Israel demanding the relocation of 1.1 million people ahead of an expected ground invasion, von Burgsdorff says Israel must adhere to international law and protect civilians. “No matter what Hamas did, it does not justify the incredible use of lethal force without distinction and without proportionality as far as the Palestinian population is concerned in Gaza,” he says.

"No matter what Hamas did, it does not justify the incredible use of lethal force without distinction and without proportionality as far as the Palestinian population is concerned in Gaza,” says Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, recently retired European Union ambassador to Palestine, adding that “Israel must adhere to international law and protect civilians.”

    • snooggums@kbin.social
      63·
      1 year ago

      https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/14/gaza-civilians-afraid-to-leave-home-after-bombing-of-safe-routes

      The warring parties blamed each other for the attack. Hamas, the militant group in control of the Gaza Strip, said it had been carried out by Israel. In a briefing on Sunday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) denied Israeli munitions had hit the convoy.

      The Palestinian health ministry said 70 people were killed on the road, which was filled with traffic as Palestinians tried to adhere to Israeli orders given early on Friday to evacuate the northern half of Gaza.

      Shadows and the position of the sun suggest the attack on the civilian convoy occurred at about 5.30pm. At 6.03pm, in social media posts, the IDF identified the exact same road in an infographic as the safe route to follow the Israeli evacuation directive for about half of the strip’s population to travel south of the Gaza River, which is just south of Gaza City.

      Conflicting timeframes for safe passage communicated by the IDF, and the bombing of Salah al-Din Road, a supposedly safe route, have led many people still in northern Gaza to conclude it is not safe to leave their homes.

      Israel is making the situation worse by mandating an evacuation, no matter who actually attacked the fleeing civilians.

      • CookieJarObserverEnglish
        37·
        1 year ago

        Ah so mandating civilians to leave a combat zone is bad…? Pretty idiotic statement.

        The only people profiting from the civilians staying is the militants, so its kinda obvious who attacked them, as there have been several reports of them attacking civilians…

        Israel isn’t making anything worse, Israel just has to act accordingly after the government of Palestinia (Hamas) startet a war by killing hundreds of civilians, launched thousands of rockets into citys and abducted (raped and killed) hundreds. Welcome to reality, this is a war now, there will be suffering, there will be death, there is no other way anymore.

        • snooggums@kbin.social
          41·
          1 year ago

          Well, there are the elderly, sick, and injured that risk negative outcomes just from being forced to move. Even more risk because of being forced on a short time frame with all of the other terrible conditions.

          I guess if you ignore the entire ongoing conflict and just start with last weekend then sure, Hamas started a war right now and we can ignore everything Isreal contributed to the current situation including Isreal mandating an unrealistic evacuation time frame for millions of people while also cutting off their water and power.

          It is far more complicated than ‘it is war now, lol’ that you are spouting.

          • CookieJarObserverEnglish
            22·
            1 year ago

            Several days aren’t a short time to leave such a tiny area.

            Its far more complicated than its war, yes, but not that far. And stop blaming Israel on stuff Hamas is the reason for. You are literally siding with people that behead babies, rape woman and commit terrorist attacks.

            If you cant comprehend whats going on that’s not my fault.

            • snooggums@kbin.social
              11·
              1 year ago

              I am taking the side of Palestinian civilians, you are equating them with Hamas. Hamas is terrible and should be destroyed for what they have done, but how Israel is going about it just makes things even worse.

              The whole “baby beheading” thing hasn’t even been confirmed by the Israeli government, which is a pretty good indicator that it was bullshit propaganda just like the “unplugging baby incubators” from the Iraq war.

              You are the one who doesn’t comprehend what is going on.

              • CookieJarObserverEnglish
                1·
                1 year ago

                The whole “baby beheading” thing hasn’t even been confirmed by the Israeli government, which is a pretty good indicator that it was bullshit propaganda just like the “unplugging baby incubators” from the Iraq war.

                Man there have been pictures…

                And you take the side of Hamas by blaming their actions on Israel and saying Israel should just live with whatever they do because otherwise civilians will get hurt.