Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 9th Feb. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Thursday that Israel’s reported attempt to create a “buffer zone” with Gaza could constitute a war crime.
Volk said in a statement that the Israeli Defence Forces are reportedly destroying all buildings in the Gaza Strip that are within a kilometre of the Israel-Gaza fence and “clearing the area” to achieve this objective.
Mr. Türk stressed to the Israeli authorities that the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the Occupying Power from destroying property belong to private persons except where absolutely necessary by military operations.
“Destructions carried out to create a ‘buffer zone’ for general security purposes do not appear consistent with the narrow ‘military operations’ exception set out in international humanitarian law,” he said.
“Further, extensive destruction of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a war crime.”
UN human rights office has recorded widespread destruction by the IDF of civilian and other infrastructure such as residential buildings, schools, and universities in areas where fighting is not or no longer taking place.
It added that demolitions have occurred in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, As Shujaiyeh in Gaza City, and at Nuseirat Camp in Middle Gaza, with reports of the destruction of many residential buildings and blocks in Khan Younis in the south in recent weeks.
Mr. Turk said “Israel has not provided cogent reasons for such extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure.”
He said the destruction “appears to be aimed at or has the effect of rendering the return of civilians to these areas impossible.
Mr. Turk added that the forcible transfer of civilians may constitute a war crime.
