Israel‘s breach of international law not identified in article

“The instructions issued by the Israeli authorities for the population of Gaza City to immediately leave their homes, coupled with the complete siege explicitly denying them food, water, and electricity, are not compatible with international humanitarian law.”


October 13, 2023

To:

Steve Bartlett, Managing Editor, Saltwire

Dan Williams, Reporter, Reuters

Ari Rabinovitch, Editor, Reuters

Christina Fincher, Editor, Reuters

Dear Steve Bartlett, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, and Christina Fincher,

I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, cjpme.org) to implore you to correct a glaring omission in your October 13 article, “Israel’s Gallant: Gaza war is existential, Hamas part of Iranian ‘axis.’

Your report on an announced breach of international law fails to identify it as such.

In this article, you report that the Israeli defense minister “said Palestinian civilians ‘who want to save their lives’ must heed Israel's warning to evacuate southward in the enclave.’”

This phrase establishes two grave breaches of humanitarian law: (1) a threat against Palestinians civilians, who are told to obey an impossible order or else lose “their lives”; and (2) illegal Israeli aggravation of a humanitarian crisis. 

For the international law, refer to the website of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the body named in Article 61 of the Fourth Geneva Convention as charged with addressing these questions. The Israeli army’s declaration that in its assault on Gaza, “the emphasis is on damage rather than on precision,” is the announcement of a war crime in progress, as the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem notes and as you must report.

As for the illegality of the Israeli expulsion order, refer here to the ICRC itself:

“The instructions issued by the Israeli authorities for the population of Gaza City to immediately leave their homes, coupled with the complete siege explicitly denying them food, water, and electricity, are not compatible with international humanitarian law.”

Feel free to reach me at 438-380-5410 should you wish to discuss this matter further.

Sincerely,

Dan Freeman-Maloy

PhD, University of Exeter

Director of Strategic Operations

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

Canadiens pour la Justice et la Paix au Moyen-Orient