DELIBERATE attacks by Israeli forces against civilian property and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip violate international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes, Amnesty International said yesterday.
‘Israel must now take urgent measures to remedy the long-term damage it has caused and immediately restore the supply – at its own cost – of electricity and water to the Palestinian population in the affected areas,’ urged the organisation.
‘As the occupying power, Israel is bound under international law to protect and safeguard the basic human rights of the Palestinian population.’
The deliberate destruction of the Gaza Strip’s only electricity power station, water networks, bridges, roads and other infrastructure is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and has major and long-term humanitarian consequences for the 1.5 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip.
‘Almost half of Gaza’s inhabitants are now without electricity and water supplies have also been cut in several areas both by the lack of electricity, necessary to operate the water pumps used to extract and deliver water, and by the destruction of water mains as a result of the bombings of bridges and roads.
The extensive damage caused by Israeli artillery and air strikes against these facilities in recent days is estimated at several millions of US dollars and will require months of work to repair.
Unless alternative emergency measures are promptly put in place to restore electricity and water supply the consequences could be dire for the health of the Palestinian population.
In a statement the Israeli army said that it had: ‘…. carried out an aerial attack on an electricity transformer station south of Gaza city….’ and that ‘The IDF will continue to employ all means at its disposal against Palestinian terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip in order to ensure the quick and safe return home of Corporal Gilad Shalit.’
The destruction by Israeli forces of bridges and roads is slowing down, but not preventing movement between different areas of the Gaza Strip.
It is likely to cause severe restrictions on movement during the rainy season in a few months time.
At present, it causes disruption to Palestinians civilians, who have to take long detours to reach their workplace, but it does not prevent the movements of armed groups – Israel’s stated objective.
As the tension between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) and armed groups continues to mount, there is growing concern for the safety of the civilian population.
High numbers of Palestinian bystanders, including women and children, have been killed and injured by Israeli artillery shelling and air strikes in recent weeks and months.
This situation looks set to worsen in light of the end of the unilateral cease-fire which the armed wing of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups had been observing since last year.
According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, ‘collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited’ (article 33) as is the destruction of private or public property, ‘except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations’ (Article 53).
The Convention requires all states party to it to search for and ensure the prosecution of perpetrators of the war crime of ‘causing extensive destruction . . . not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly’.
‘Intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects’ is also a war crime under Article 8 (b) (ii) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Meanwhile, The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) yesterday voiced extreme concern at the targeting of vital Palestinian civilian infrastructure in Gaza by the Israeli army.
The most damaging of this targeting was the destruction of the six transformers at Gaza’s only power station on June 28, which is owned by a US company and whose repair expense will be borne by US taxpayers.
This has resulted in the cutting off of electricity to 700,000 Palestinian civilians, threatening water supplies and depriving people of light and cooling in a region where daily temperatures exceed 100 degrees.
Electricity is needed to pump water to homes and businesses, resulting in the water supply being reduced by 50 per cent. In addition, it is estimated that there are only three days left of fuel supplies, which are critical for powering hospital generators, preserving food stocks, and producing bread.
Other civilian infrastructure targeted by the Israeli army includes Palestinian government buildings and educational institutions.
International organisations such as the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have called on Israel to allow urgent medical and food supplies into Gaza.
United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland has said that Gaza is three days away from a deadly humanitarian crisis unless Israel promptly restores fuel and electricity.
ATFP calls on the government of Israel to immediately allow fuel supplies into Gaza and use the connection of its electricity grid to Gaza’s to restore power to the area.
Dorothea Krimitsas, ICRC spokeswoman has emphasised that ‘under international law, Israel has the obligation to allow humanitarian supplies into Gaza. It also has the duty to ensure that the vital supplies for the population, including food and medicine, are adequate.’