Late yesterday Israel’s ground offensive against Gaza commenced. Reuters and other media outlets reported that Israel dropped thousands of leaflets over Gaza warning civilians to leave their homes.
The leaflets from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) were addressed to “residents of the area” and stated: “… For your own safety you are required to leave the area immediately.”
However the leaflets provided no indication whatever as to where Gaza residents should flee to.
The IDF is fully aware that Israel has blockaded Gaza for the last 18 or so months. Its land and sea borders as well as its air-space are constantly controlled by Israel. And Gaza’s Rafah border has been closed by Egypt because the Mubarak government dislikes the Muslim Brotherhood movement of which Hamas is an offshoot.
So Israel’s IDF is telling Gaza residents to “… leave the area immediately” in full knowledge that Gazans cannot escape the war-zone because they have nowhere to flee to.
We at FreeGaza.info believe that that in itself constitutes a war crime. Or if not a war crime, then a serious violation of humanitarian law.
What do you think?
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January 5th, 2009 at 12:13
…under what statutes are you claiming this is a war crime or serious violation of humanitarian law? these are big charges to lobby on a hunch.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:58
Ordering civilians to flee their homes in a zone of armed conflict, when it is known that there is nowhere for them to flee to, is obviously not a measure for protecting them. On the contrary, such an order is likely to expose them to increased danger.
Protection for civilians is a basic principle of humanitarian law. Civilians not taking part in the fighting must never be attacked and must be spared and protected. The 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols contain specific rules to protect civilians. Civilians are also protected by the fundamental principles of humanitarian law and human rights law.