Israel is still the occupying power of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip

"Experts including the United Nations fact-finding missions, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross concur that Israel's status as an occupying power persists. Under International Law, the designation of occupation does not rely on the presence of foreign ground troops within a territory, but rather on the assertion of 'effective control'."


April 30, 2024

To:

Susan Schwartz, Journalist, Montreal Gazette

Marilena Lucci, Editor-in-Chief, Montreal Gazette

 

Dear Susan Schwartz,

I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to ask for a minor correction in a recent article titled, “'Ability to speak in complexities' is a casualty of Israel-Hamas war, panel hears,” published on April 29 by Montreal Gazette. 

You write in one of the paragraphs: “Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip during the Six-Day War of 1967. Before that, Gaza had been under Egyptian military rule from 1949 and the West Bank and East Jerusalem were ruled by Jordan. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and, after Hamas seized control of the region, imposed a blockade there in 2007.”

I want to emphasize that Israel maintains its status as the occupying power over the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Despite its "disengagement" from the Gaza Strip in 2005, where it evacuated illegal settlements and withdrew ground military forces, various experts across different disciplines argue that Israel remains bound by the obligations of a military occupier according to international law. The Fourth Geneva Convention, alongside other international humanitarian instruments, explains important responsibilities of an occupying force during times of conflict and occupation, primarily centered around safeguarding civilian populations. Experts including the United Nations fact-finding missions, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross concur that Israel's status as an occupying power persists. Under International Law, the designation of occupation does not rely on the presence of foreign ground troops within a territory, but rather on the assertion of "effective control."

Your attention to articulating this point in the article is appreciated, as the language utilized significantly shapes readers' comprehension of the context.

 

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Matta,

Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East