Three people were killed and at least 10 were hurt when the Israeli army bombed Gaza’s only Catholic church on July 17; at least ten were hurt. Gabriele Romanelli, a parish priest who used to communicate with the late Pope Francis almost daily, was among the injured.
Following the attack, there were condemnation statements. Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, called it “unacceptable.” Pope Leo claimed that it was “deeply saddened” and that it caused him to feel “vague” and “cowardly.”
The Israeli government responded quickly to the attack’s “regrett.”
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was able to negotiate with the international outcry for church officials to visit the Christian community, deliver limited supplies of food and medicine to Muslim and Christian families, and eject some of the injured for treatment outside of Gaza.
Even though those in Gaza’s desperate need are appreciative of these humanitarian actions, they are yet another illustration of international failure. Why must negotiation be used to “earned” the delivery of food, water, and medicine? Why is political bargaining necessary when enshrined in international law?
The efforts of the church leaders are greatly appreciated by Palestinians. Their actions demonstrate moral coherence and compassion. However, it shouldn’t be necessary to take these actions. Occupying powers have legally binding obligations to the people under their control under international humanitarian law. It is legal for people to obtain access to essential services like food, water, medicine, and legal services.
When the occupying power controls access to borders, infrastructure, and life-sustaining resources, the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and the 1907 Hague Regulations make clear that civilians in occupied territory must be protected and provided with essential services. Aid is blocked or delayed, which is a war crime, not just inhumane.
Israeli practices continue impunously in Gaza and the West Bank while the occupying power is prohibited by international law from forcibly transferring the local population or settling its own citizens on occupied land. The occupier must guarantee nonstop access to humanitarian aid without interruption, including through political pressures or forced trade-offs.
On all of these issues, Israel has broken the law. However, Israel receives concessions in exchange for a promise to follow basic legal requirements in exchange for its use of collective punishment, starvation tactics, and attacks on civilian infrastructure like churches, hospitals, bakeries, and schools. The powers that execute these “deals” then spin them as diplomatic “successes.”
Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, the ambassador of the European Union to Jordan, made this clear during a recent lecture in Amman. According to him, “effective political pressure” was generated by EU “discussions” about addressing Israel’s violation of the EU-Israel partnership agreement’s human rights provisions. In response, Israel “agreed” to allow more food and aid deliveries, fuel for electricity and desalination, infrastructure improvements, the reopening of humanitarian corridors through Egypt and Jordan, and access for UN aid workers and observers.
The EU halted its 10 proposed sanctions after reaching an agreement. The action was characterized as a “cruel and unlawful betrayal” of its tenets, according to Amnesty International.
Israel’s failure to implement this “deal” is a problem, just like it did for all other countries before it. Gaza needs more than 500 trucks per day, according to EU sources who were quoted in the media. It’s unclear whether 80 trucks actually enter or how much of this aid actually gets to the recipients.
The Israeli army fires at anyone who attempts to defend these trucks from looters as gangs frequently attack aid convoys.
Numerous organizations and organizations are ringing the alarm about the daily malnutrition epidemic that causes children’s deaths. Even if the UN is under pressure to declare it, famine is still present.
Israeli forces and foreign mercenaries continue to kill people who are attempting to aid people at distribution centers run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was established to remove UNRWA’s role as the country’s aid agency for Palestinian refugees. Since GHF’s operations started in the middle of May, nearly 900 people have died at these locations.
Individual member states are still legally responsible if the EU as a whole refuses to act. Should European nations at the very least stop cooperating with institutions that are involved in the occupation and apartheid, and stop arms transfers and trade with illegal settlements. These are not optional political positions. They are legal obligations. And the rest of the world is also affected by this.
Imprisonment becomes a normalized state when war crimes are ignored in exchange for temporary relief, a situation that Israel should avoid by appealing to them to allow them to receive aid. Starvation is a viable means of conflict. The lives of citizens become bargaining chips.
The international community, which includes the EU, churches, and world leaders, must continue to offer compassion and assistance. However, justice cannot be replaced by this. Israel must be held to its legal and moral obligations, and this is why peace and resolve are important. Christians and Muslims must treat Palestinians as human beings with the rights to dignity, safety, and peace, not as pawns.
Source: Aljazeera
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