International Organizations Condemn Israel for Committing Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing and War Crimes

By David Starr

 

The United States empire has been blatantly shameful in supporting Israel, and thus, its’ obvious violations of international law. Under Joe Biden, the USA has been a contributor to Israel’s barbaric crusade to try and impose a “Greater Israel” in the Middle East. The repeated Hamas and antisemitic excuses in the attempt to “defend” Israel  have gotten really old. It’s gone way beyond self-defense.

 

A report was recently published by the United Nations Human Rights organization detailing Israel’s violations. In the report, it states that “Israel must face the consequences of its campaign to undermine the legal framework for the protections of civilians in armed conflicts…”

 

The report quotes human rights experts relating to Israel’s military assaults and the forced relocation of Gaza’s population:

 

“As we have repeatedly reminded Israel, international humanitarian law comprises a set of universal and binding rules to protect civilian objects and persons who are not, or are no longer, directly participating in hostilities and limits permissible means of warfare.

 

“Rather than abide by these rules, Israel has openly defied international law time and again, inflicting maximum suffering on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory and beyond.”

 

Relying on the experts further, the report itself stated, “Citing Israel’s most egregious violations, the experts highlighted crimes against humanity including murder, torture, sexual violence, and repeated forced displacement amounting to forcible transfer, war crimes encompassing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and educational institutions and cultural heritage, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, targeting healthcare workers and health facilities, attacks on humanitarian workers, arbitrary restrictions on access to humanitarian aid, attacks on journalists, collective punishment and perfidy.”

 

The report concludes that “Israel’s continued impunity sends a dangerous message suggesting that parties to other conflicts around the world need not comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. Israel and its leaders must be held accountable.”

 

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have been issued arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC), there are more perpetrators in the Israeli government, and their supporters, including Israeli soldiers, who have callously and coldly meted out barbaric treatment of the Palestinians. There should be an overall investigation of these people, looking at the obvious: more than two fascists were involved.

 

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) issued a report on the ongoing tragedy. It states that, “Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas facilitated by Egypt, Qatar and the US on the terms of a ceasefire agreement are ongoing, focusing on the details of the hostages taken captive during 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks in Israel and of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel, as well as the positioning of Israeli forces during the potential ceasefire.”

 

A ceasefire has been attempted before, but the Biden administration agreed that it be temporary. But the obvious goal is a permanent ceasefire, something the administration hasn’t prioritized. 

 

The report reveals that a December 24, 2024 update by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the war in Gaza was issued. Israel is still launching  bombings across the Gaza Strip with the tragic result that civilians are being killed, the infrastructure is being destroyed, and there is massive and repeated displacement of civilians. Armed Palestinian groups have struck back at the Israeli military despite its ground invasion that occurred since October 6, 2024. 

 

The UNSC report states that, “The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains abysmal.” But this is what Israeli officials wanted. Based on religious fanaticism, ultranationalism and racism, the officials, and their supporters, are on a fascist frenzy, killing as many Palestinians as possible. They want a “Greater Israel” no matter the degree of the carnage. 

 

Israelis see every Palestinian–man, woman and child–as an enemy combatant. The viciousness of their actions is unlike anything seen in recent years. It even harkens back to the Holocaust, where, ironically, an estimated six million Jews were killed. According to the UNSC report, “Approximately 90 percent of the population of the Gaza Strip has been displaced, often multiple times. Large areas of Gaza, including critical infrastructure, has been bombed to the ground, with about 69 percent of the total structures in the Gaza Strip destroyed, severely damaged, moderately damaged and possibly damaged.”

 

Data from OCHA, by way of Palestinian officials, indicate that since December 17, 2024, about 45,059 Palestinians have been killed while 10,000 are under the rubble. Further, according to UNICEF, about 160 children have been killed in Gaza since early November 2024. 

 

OCHA also relied on figures from Israeli officials, who state that over 1,586 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed between October 2023 and December 2024. This may be plausible but the source for the information hasn’t usually told the truth about the overall conflict. 

 

There’s also resolution 2334 issued in December 2024 stating that “the [Israeli] hostages continue to be held ‘in horrific conditions with reports of severe maltreatment.’” If this is from an Israeli source, then skepticism is appropriate.

 

The UNSC report revealed that, “Key humanitarian and human rights organizations have recently issued reports raising serious concerns about genocide and ethnic cleansing being committed by Israel in Gaza.” Among the examples, Amnesty International concluded that Israel has committed genocide in violation of international law. Human Rights Watch is another organization which concluded that the depriving of water by Israel is an act of genocide.

 

With all these horrific acts happening, the USA empire has given half-hearted support to Palestinians. Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, etc. claim they’re concerned, but the USA turns around and continues to give military aid to Israel to kill more Palestinians. Thus, both Israel and the USA are morally bankrupt in their direct and indirect involvement in the conflict.

 

That moral bankruptcy was further proven in November 2024 when the USA vetoed a draft resolution co-authored by the ten elected members of the UNSC. The resolution demanded an unconditional, permanent ceasefire as soon as possible. The representatives of the USA in the UNSC smugly and cynically voted against the resolution. 

 

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has been trying to implement its own resolution. But since the UNGA doesn’t have binding votes, the UNSC’s votes are binding, that’s another roadblock to achieve a permanent ceasefire. In fact, the UNSC is not really a democratic body, since it doesn’t represent all the nations of the world, which would be more ethical and sensible…and democratic.

 

Above all, international law has been pushed by lawyers in their condemnation of Israel. In one session at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a lawyer speaks for the Arab League and winds up humiliating the “Holy Land.” Although this occurred 10 months ago, it is still relevant, given the seriousness of Israel’s war crimes.

 

With Trump getting into power on January 20, of 2025, the odds are that he will, like Biden, continue funding Israel’s genocide, ethnic-cleansing and war crimes. But the resistance continues which means a continuing struggle in the Middle East.