50 international human rights experts called for decisive international action to stop the bloodshed in Gaza, and criticized the “indiscriminate” Israeli air strikes on Rafah.
The experts expressed their anger in particular at the raids on a camp housing displaced civilians in Tal al-Sultan in Rafah on Sunday night, raids that “killed at least 46 people, including 23 women, children and the elderly.”
The experts said in a statement yesterday, Wednesday, “Horrific images of destruction, displacement and death emerged from Rafah, including the dismemberment of infants and the burning of people alive. Reports received from the ground indicate that the strikes were random and disproportionate, as people were trapped inside burning plastic tents, which led to “A horrific toll of victims.”
The independent UN experts added, “These brutal attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international law, and also represent an attack on human decency and our common humanity.”
“The reckless targeting of sites known to be sheltering displaced Palestinians, including women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly, seeking asylum, constitutes a serious violation of the laws of war and a grim reminder of the urgent need for international action and accountability,” they said.
The experts continued, “Even if Israeli leaders now claim that the strikes were a mistake, they bear international legal responsibility,” noting that “describing this as a mistake will not make the raids legal, nor will it bring back the dead in Rafah or comfort the grieving survivors.”
The UN experts pointed out that the attack comes shortly after the issuance of a historic decision by the International Court of Justice, “ordering Israel to immediately stop the military attack, and any further action in Rafah may lead to acts of genocide.” They warned that Israel blatantly ignored these directives during the attack last night. Sunday.
They said that ICJ orders, such as those issued on May 24, 2024 to Israel, are binding. They stressed the need for Israel to comply with these orders. They stated that Israel “has enjoyed impunity for its crimes against the Palestinian people for decades, and for its brutal attack on the people of Gaza over the past eight months.”
The independent experts called for an independent international investigation into the attacks on the camps for the displaced in Rafah, stressing the need to hold those responsible for these “atrocities” accountable.
They called for immediate sanctions and other measures by the international community to pressure Israel to comply with international law.