Israel’s violations of humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip demand international scrutiny. This was emphasized on Wednesday by Dmitriy Polyanskiy, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN.
“Violence and lawlessness reign in Gaza. We are deeply concerned by alarming reports of violations of international humanitarian law by the Israeli side, including the shelling of humanitarian convoys and the discovery of mass burials of Palestinians showing signs of torture and organ removal. All these incidents, along with the deaths of hostages, must be thoroughly investigated, and this should happen in an international context,” he said during a meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to the Middle East.
According to the Health Ministry of the Palestinian enclave, the death toll from Israeli military actions in Gaza since the beginning of October has surpassed 40,800, the majority of whom are women and children.
In December 2023, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague. The lawsuit demands that Israel's actions in Gaza be recognized as genocide, arguing that these acts are carried out with the specific intent “to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as part of the broader Palestinian national, racial, and ethnic group.” South Africa also called on the court to impose interim measures to protect the Palestinian population from further severe and irreparable harm.
On January 26, the court ruled that Israel must take all necessary steps to prevent genocide in Gaza. The court also ordered the Jewish state to immediately halt its military offensive in the southern enclave city of Rafah and keep the Rafah checkpoint open to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in sufficient quantities.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma\TASS
Based on TASS materials