Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 24th Oct. UN independent experts on Monday called on all lawyers advising the Israeli military to refuse legal authorization for acts that could amount to war crimes in retaliation for the Hamas attacks on Israel.
“We unequivocally condemn the massacres of civilians and hostage-taking by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel,” the rights experts said.
“Those acts, committed against civilians, were atrocities.”
“Israel has launched a barrage of deadly airstrikes into densely populated civilian areas in the Gaza strip, destroying or damaging homes, hospitals, markets, and UN Reliefs and Works Agency (UNRWA) buildings,” the experts said.
The experts noted that over 5,000 dead – according to Gaza health authorities and more than 12,000 children are reportedly among the injured.
They stressed that the tightening of the years-long Israeli blockade on Gaza, cutting off food, water, electricity and fuel supplies.
“As Israel responds to Hamas and conducts operations in Gaza, all lawyers advising the military must identify and seek to prevent actions that may amount to war crimes,” the statement said. They have a professional duty to deny legal authorization for criminal acts,” the experts said.
“Lawyers must refuse to give legal authorisation for actions that violate international law,” they said.
