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UN Human Rights Council condemns Israel for grave violations in Gaza

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Geneva, Jan 12, IRNA -- The United Nations Human Rights Council condemned Israel on Monday for "grave violations" of human rights of the people of Gaza.

“The Council strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli military operations... which have resulted in massive violations of human rights of the Palestinian people and systematic destruction of the Palestinian infrastructure."

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said an alleged failure of the Israeli military to help wounded civilians in Gaza constitutes war crime.

The High Commissioner deplored Israel's totally unacceptable strikes against clearly marked U.N. facilities where civilians were taking shelter. She said scores of people, including children were wounded in these attacks.

She said the killing and wounding of U.N. workers Thursday by Israeli military led to the U.N.'s decision to suspend its relief operations in the Gaza Strip. She urged both parties to the conflict to live up to their obligations under international humanitarian law. She said they must care for the wounded and not target health workers, hospitals and ambulances.

"Accountability must be ensured for violations of international law," said Pillay. "As a first step, credible, independent, and transparent investigations must be carried out to identify violations and to establish responsibilities. Equally crucial is upholding the right of victims to reparation. I remind this Council that violations of international humanitarian law may constitute war crimes for which individual criminal responsibility may be invoked."

Israel was subjected to a barrage of criticism as state after state accused the government of grossly violating the human rights of the Palestinian people. They condemned Israel for the use of disproportionate force, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Thursday that Israel violated international law in Gaza by hampering access of the wounded to ambulances in areas of combat.

“The Israeli military failed to meet its obligation under international law to care for and evacuate the wounded,” said Pierre Wettach, ICRC chief for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Because of berms built by Israeli forces, the ambulances could not enter the area so “the children and the wounded had to be taken to the ambulances on a donkey cart,” the statement said.

“The Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestine Red Crescent to assist the wounded,” he said.

The statement said the international Red Cross “believes that in this instance the Israeli military failed to meet its obligation under international humanitarian law to care for and evacuate the wounded. It considers the delay in allowing rescue services access unacceptable."