Amnesty International warns of near breakdown of international law with Gaza war
'For millions the world over, Gaza now symbolizes utter moral failure by many of the architects of the post-World War II system,' says Amnesty International
The world is witnessing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's secretary general, gave a speech alongside Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International's U.K. Chief Executive, at a press conference in London ahead of the launch of 'The State of the World's Human Rights,' its annual report on the global human rights situation.
The report will be published on Wednesday April 24, covering 155 countries and including regional and global analyses, it provides the most comprehensive overview of human rights trends and developments in the world today.
The human rights organization stated that the most powerful governments, including the United States, have led a global disregard for international rules and values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with civilians in conflicts paying the highest price.
“The level of a violation of the international order witnessed in the past year was unprecedented,” Amnesty’s secretary general, Agnes Callamard, expressed.
'Gaza symbolizes utter moral failure by many of the architects of the post-World War II system'
“Israel’s flagrant disregard for international law is compounded by the failures of its allies to stop the indescribable civilian bloodshed meted out in Gaza. For millions the world over, Gaza now symbolizes utter moral failure by many of the architects of the post-World War II system," she added.
In an annual report, the charity accused Israel of indiscriminate bombings and an "engineered famine," and allies of flouting the high human rights ideals they helped to design.
Promise of 'never again' is under threat
The world order built from the ruins of 1945 is "on the brink of collapsing" because of Israel's assault on Gaza and the failure of allies such as the U.S. to stop the violence, Amnesty International said.
Ms Callamard said the post-1945 promise of "never again" – embodied in documents such as the Genocide Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, both of 1948 is under threat.
There was 'irrefutable risk' of genocide
Israel responded to "horrific attacks" by Hamas last October with a retaliatory attack that "soon became a campaign of collective punishment", Ms Callamard said.
She said there was "mounting evidence" of war crimes and an "irrefutable risk" of genocide, a matter being considered by the International Court of Justice after a case brought by South Africa against Israel.
Amnesty is "committed to upholding the highest standard of accuracy and impartiality" and is "taking the process of determination of whether this amounts to genocide very seriously," she said.
Israel denies genocidal intent, saying it is acting in self-defense against Hamas - a stance broadly accepted by allies such as the U.S. and Germany, even as they urge it to provide more aid to Palestinians.
Germany separately appeared before the ICJ to deny a Nicaraguan charge of complicity in genocide, saying it is trying to do right by Israelis and Palestinians in a complex situation.
UK to be judged harshly for its failure to help prevent civilian slaughter in Gaza
Amnesty is hoping to give evidence in a case brought against the U.K. government on arms exports to Israel, which officials argue are relatively minor.
"The very minimum that's required from the government is an immediate halt to arms sales to Israel," as well as increased aid and a call for a permanent cease-fire said Amnesty's U.K. chief executive Sacha Deshmukh.
"There's no doubt in my mind that the U.K. will be judged harshly by history for its failure to help prevent a civilian slaughter in Gaza," he said.
Some of the essential points placed in a 418-page report issued by Amnesty International:
Amnesty said Palestinians were living through a "far more violent and destructive version" of the events in 1948 in which many were displaced.
Israel and Hamas are both accused of war crimes, with thousands of Palestinians said to have "died needlessly" because of attacks on hospitals and a lack of water, food, and medicine.
Field investigations suggest over 200 people were killed in nine "unlawful" Israeli airstrikes in which it attacked civilians or did not take steps to protect them.
Allies of Israel are described as showing "grotesque double standards" by condemning violence by Hamas and Russia in Ukraine but continuing to back Israel.
The U.S. is accused of having "weaponized its veto power" to stop the UN Security Council from issuing a call for a cease-fire.
Source: Newsroom
