They urge those responsible to be held accountable in the face of “generalized impunity”
Nov 21. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The NGOs Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have urged the signatory countries of the Rome Statute to enforce the mandate of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the previous Head of Defense, Yoav Gallant.
“Whether the ICC can effectively fulfill its mandate will depend on the willingness of governments to support justice regardless of where abuses are committed and by whom,” said HRW Associate Director of International Justice Balkees Jarrah.
He has also said that the orders against Israeli and Hamas leaders “break the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law.” “This should finally prompt the international community to address the atrocities and ensure justice for all victims in Palestine and Israel,” he said.
“After more than half a century of rampant impunity, those responsible for some of the most serious crimes should pay a price so that victims and survivors can achieve the justice that has long eluded them,” he concluded.
The Secretary General of AI, Agnès Callamard, has spoken in the same terms, urging the member states of the ICC, as well as those that are not part of the organization, such as the United States or other allies of Israel, to “demonstrate their respect for the court’s decision” with the arrest of those involved, given the moment.
“Holding officials accountable for the litany of crimes is a crucial step in ending the continued violation of rights in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and would help address the continued dispossession and oppression of Palestinians under Israel’s illegal occupation and the apartheid system,” he added.
In this sense, he has pointed out that “there can be no safe haven for those who have allegedly committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.” Callamard has also stressed that the orders represent “a historic advance” and must be “the beginning of the end of widespread impunity” in the region.
The court in The Hague, which has rejected the appeals presented by Israel and has ruled that it has jurisdiction in the case, believes that there is evidence that both Netanyahu and Gallant knowingly sought to leave the Gazan population without elements “indispensable for their survival.” and blocking the entry of aid, also hindering the work of humanitarian organizations.
The judges believe that Netanyahu and Gallant may be “criminally responsible” for using starvation as a method of warfare, as well as murders, other inhumane acts and persecution that would fall under the category of crimes against humanity. He also reproaches them that indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population may have been committed under their command.
The court has also ordered the arrest of the head of the military wing of Hamas, Mohamed Diab al Masri, known as ‘Abú Deif’, after other leaders of the Islamist group previously identified, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniye, have lost their lives in the last months in Israeli operations. Israel has presumed him dead, although the group has not officially confirmed this.
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