IT has been two weeks since Israel launched a war on Gaza, destroying and damaging Palestinian homes and displacing hundreds of civilians.

As Israeli forces continue to increase their assault on the occupied Gaza Strip, they have violated international and human rights laws.

Amid the violence, world leaders have repeatedly called for international laws to be respected. 

On October 10, it was reported that the UN Commission of Inquiry is collecting evidence of war crime committed by both sides. The inquiry is important to identify those responsible for war crimes committed on Palestinian territory since 2021. It will also collect evidence for prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

The Geneva Convention of 1949 is an international humanitarian law. Each party of conflict is bound by the provisions of article 3.

Israel has also breached articles 55, 56, and 59 of the IV Convention (Additional Protocol), on the protection of civilian persons in times of war, when it ordered a siege on the Gaza Strip and cut off all power, food, and fuel to the territory. And there has been a delay in humanitarian aid as well, as reported by Reuters. 

The Israeli government’s order to the people of Gaza to evacuate the Al-Ahli Hospital a day before bombardment is in breach of article 17 of Protocol II, which forbids the displacement of the civilian population for reasons related to conflict unless security so demands. 

The order is therefore considered to be genocide, a war crime, and a crime against humanity, under articles 6, 7, and 8 of the Rome Statute.

So will international law play a role in putting an end to the cruelty that has taken place for the past seven decades or will it once again fail the Palestinians? – October 24, 2023.

* Matilda George reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.