Since October 7, 2023, Israel's violent attacks against the civilian population in Palestine, which violate the norms of humanitarian law and international law, have been continuing. Hospitals, places of worship, schools and civilian settlements have been targeted in attacks that disregard international human rights. Thousands of innocent civilians, mostly women and children, have lost their lives as a result of these attacks. As part of the attacks against civilians, four different schools were bombed by Israeli forces in the last four days.
On July 6, 2024, 16 people, mostly women and children, were killed and 50 injured in an attack on a school belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Nusayrat in central Gaza. A day after this attack, the Israeli army bombed the "Holy Family" School in northern Gaza, where displaced Palestinians had taken refuge, killing 4 Palestinians. Continuing its attacks on schools where displaced Palestinians seek refuge, Israel targeted another UNRWA school in Nusayrat on July 8, 2024, injuring many civilians.(1) Most recently, 29 people, mostly children and women, lost their lives and more than 49 people were injured in the attack in which a school housing displaced people was targeted in the town of Abesan, east of the city of Khan Younis. (2) (3)
Despite all the reactions shown by the international community, the number of people killed in the attacks that have continued since October 7, 2023 has increased to 38,243 and the number of injured to 88,033. (4) The ongoing systematic attacks against the innocent and defenseless civilian population in Palestine clearly demonstrate that Israel's main goal is to exterminate the Palestinian people through genocide. Pursuant to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, the protection and care of civilians, even in time of war, is essential, and it is an obligation of humanitarian law to avoid interventions that would cause civilian casualties or injuries. According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, intentional attacks against the civilian population constitute war crimes. However, disregarding all these rules of international law and humanitarian law, Israel continues to target particularly civilian areas, regardless of children, the elderly and women, and commits war crimes in front of the eyes of the whole world.
As the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, we once again condemn the systematic and widespread attacks by Israel against the civilian population in Gaza, which constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute, and call on all actors of the international community to take a more effective role in the face of ongoing rights violations in Gaza.
Respectfully announced to the public.
- https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/israil-son-4-gunde-yerinden-edilmis-filistinlilerin-sigindigi-4-okula-saldiri-duzenledi/3270913 (Access Date: 10.07.2024)
- https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/disisleri-bakanligi-israilin-han-yunustaki-okula-saldirisini-lanetledi/3270664 (Access Date: 09.07.2024)
- https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/israilin-han-yunusta-filistinlilerin-sigindigi-okulu-vurmasi-sonucu-olenlerin-sayisi-29a-yukseldi/3270753 (Access Date: 10.07.2024)
- https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/israilin-han-yunusta-filistinlilerin-sigindigi-okulu-vurmasi-sonucu-olenlerin-sayisi-29a-yukseldi/3270753 (Access Date: 10.07.2024)