U.N. Rights Chief Slams Israel's 'Defiance' of International Law

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U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay on Thursday slammed what she said was Israel's "deliberate defiance" of international law during the Gaza conflict.

Pillay lambasted the country's attacks on homes, schools, hospitals and United Nations facilities which are sheltering 250,000 civilians in Gaza.

"There appears to be deliberate defiance of obligations that international law imposes on Israel," the South African told reporters.

Pillay said that repeated calls to respect the laws of war had gone unheeded during the latest crisis and previous spikes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The same pattern of attacks is occurring now on homes, schools, hospitals, U.N. premises. None of this appears to me to be accidental," she said.

She spoke a day after Israeli shells slammed into a U.N. school in Jabalia refugee camp which was sheltering some 3,300 homeless Gazans, killing 16 people.

Israel has accused Palestinian Islamists Hamas and other militants of hiding out among the civilian population and using U.N. facilities and other sites to store weapons and launch rocket attacks.

Pillay said that under international law, civilian facilities should not be attacked, but can lose their protected status if used for military purposes.

Even then, she said, due warning must be given before an attack, in order to allow civilians to be evacuated.

"It is completely unconscionable that the proportionality and precaution that international law requires is being ignored," said Pillay.

She also criticized Israel's strikes on Gaza's power plant, as well as water and sewerage systems.

Last week, the U.N. Human Rights Council voted to open an inquiry into the Gaza offensive, despite fierce opposition from Israel and the United States.

"We cannot allow impunity. We cannot allow this lack of accountability to go on," Pillay said on Thursday, calling into question domestic investigations by Israel into abuses.

"I join the world in condemning the aggression that is taking place in Gaza, and particularly the killing of civilians. This is wrong and it will always be wrong," she added.

As of Wednesday, the 24th day of the Gaza conflict, 1,364 Palestinians had been killed -- three-quarters of them civilians, Pillay said.

Fifty-six Israeli soldiers have also died, while cross-border rocket fire has killed two Israeli civilians and a Thai migrant worker.

The U.N. human rights chief has repeatedly condemned the actions not only of Israel but also the indiscriminate Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli communities.

Comments 4
Thumb music66 31 July 2014, 14:41

Hitler didn't listen Neither will Netanyahu.

But Hitler in the end died, Netanyahu is still alive but I dont think the Majority of world citizens really like his defiance of this terrible war.

Missing phillipo 31 July 2014, 14:45

Why didn't she say a word about human rights when Hamas rockets from Gaza starting shooting into Israeli towns?
Why didn't she say a word about human rights when even UNBWRA which is known for not being pro-Israeli (to put mildly) admitted publicly that Hamas had planted rockets in its schools at least three times.
Why didn't she say a word about human rights when journalists from around the world came out an openly blamed Hamas for refusing to allow Gazans to leave their homes after receiving notifications from Israel.
Why didn't she say a word about human rights when it was reported that over 30 Gazans had been executed in the last few days by Hamas for daring to protest against them and in favour of peace.
This is a UN official to whom we are to pay attention. NO THANKS.

Missing phillipo 31 July 2014, 17:24

whichever southern you are. - It is interesting that all you do is attack me, but don't give a SINGLE answer to what I write.
Perhaps with this situation, I should say that Israel is in the wrong, you would attack me, proving that Israel is in the right.

Default-user-icon i8southern (Guest) 31 July 2014, 16:54

@southern, please lay off the cpipe