A call for Action: Gross Human Rights Violations and War Crimes in the Gaza Strip

His Excellency Head of Delegation
Ramiro CIBRIAN UZAL
Ambassador EU Delegation Israel
Delegation of the EU commission to Israel
Paz tower 15th, floor 5-7 Shoham St. , Ramat Gan 52521
P.O.Box: 3513 , Ramat Gan 52136


Re: Gross Human Rights Violations and War Crimes in the Gaza Strip

Dear Mr. Uzal,

The Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA) is approaching the EU with regard to the ongoing bloodiest Israeli operation in Gaza. The excessive and indiscriminate use of lethal force by the IDF, mainly the massive air strikes of the populated areas and against civilians and civilian facilities, which has led to massive destruction, the killing of more than 350 people and the injury of over 1800 people among them women and children.
The number of deaths resulting from these attacks indicates a deliberate targeting of the civilian police forces in these locations and a clear violation of the prohibition against wilful killings. Wilful killings are a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention under Article 147 and therefore, a War Crime. Both the time and location of these attacks also indicate a malicious intent to inflict as many casualties as possible in many of the police stations located in civilian population centres and the time of the attacks coinciding with the end of the school day resulting in the deaths of numerous children.

The ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip has left medical facilities in the Strip incapable of meeting the needs of the hundreds more who have been injured which will likely lead to an increase in the number of deaths. According to Israeli officials, these attacks are only the beginning of an open military campaign in Gaza. It is therefore imperative that the international community not stand in silence while Israel moves forward with impunity.

Despite repeated calls from the Palestinian human rights community with regard to Gaza, the international community has failed to act. We are now on the brink of an explosion of violence as a result of this failure and are pushed once again to call for action. In addition, the political verbal actions and soft statements made on the European stage indicate the failure of the European Union to do its part and fulfil its moral and legal obligations towards the peoples of the region. The HRA would like, in particular, to bring to your mind the decision of the European Council at the beginning of this month, to upgrade the European Union's relations with Israel, without any actual review or minimum interest in Israel's record that is rich with human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, noting that this decision was taken while the Israeli Government was preparing for this bombardment and crimes!!

In light of the above, the HRA would urge EU institutions and member states to make effective use of the European Union Guidelines on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law (2005/C 327/04) to ensure Israel complies with international humanitarian law under paragraph 16 (b), (c) and (d) of these guidelines, including the adoption of immediate restrictive measures and sanctions, as well as cessation of all upgrade dialogue with Israel.



Sincere Regards

Mohammad Zeidan
General Director
Arab Association for Human Rights - HRA



* Pleas find attached Joint call submitted by human rights organisations to Member State of the UN Human Rights Council