A week after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, and a few days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) indicated new provisional measures in the case of the genocide complaint filed against Israel by South Africa, states must take action to ensure the implementation of this resolution and prevent atrocity crimes in Rafah, as attacks intensify, warn 13 humanitarian and human rights organizations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4974,"template":"","actualite_type":[10,176],"actualite_sujet":[180],"action_combat":[],"mdm_pays":[],"class_list":["post-4973","actualite","type-actualite","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","actualite_type-international-actions","actualite_type-press-releases","actualite_sujet-emergency-gaza"],"acf":{"mise_en_avant":false,"chapeau":"A week after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, and a few days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) indicated new provisional measures in the case of the genocide complaint filed against Israel by South Africa, states must take action to ensure the implementation of this resolution and prevent atrocity crimes in Rafah, as attacks intensify, warn 13 humanitarian and human rights organizations.","cta_type":"aucun","cta_lien":"","contenu":"
Last week, the Israeli government clearly expressed its intention to extend its military operations to<\/strong> Rafah<\/strong>, disregarding the legally binding UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. We then saw this scenario begin to unfold, with Israeli bombings in Rafah killing at least 31 people, including 14 children, on March 26 and 27. Humanitarian and human rights organizations had already sounded the alarm: the planned Israeli ground incursion in Rafah threatens to destroy lives and vital aid for over 1.3 million civilians, including at least 610,000 children, who are now directly in the line of fire.<\/p>\n\n To comply with the absolute prohibition of forced transfer and expulsion of civilians under international humanitarian law, Israel is required to take \"all possible measures\"<\/strong> to provide evacuated populations with essential supplies for their survival and ensure their safe and dignified return once hostilities have ended\u2014this includes ensuring adequate security and protection, as well as providing shelter, water, sanitation facilities, healthcare, and nutrition. It is clear that this is not currently the case, either inside or outside Gaza.<\/strong> Israeli bombings in Gaza and six months of clashes have damaged or destroyed over 60% of housing and devastated most infrastructure in the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n\n In Gaza, the population has nowhere to take refuge.<\/strong> Israeli forces have repeatedly attacked areas they had designated as \"safe.\" Airstrikes on the Al Mawasi safe zone and surrounding areas have killed at least 28 people, with Israeli ground forces previously entering and occupying the northern part of this zone. Even though humanitarian organizations inform Israeli forces of their staff locations and aid operations, this is not enough to prevent attacks. Humanitarian workers have been killed, aid convoys have been targeted by Israeli fire, and shelters and hospitals set up by the humanitarian community have been damaged or destroyed by bombings.<\/strong> The Israeli government has just proposed grouping populations into \"humanitarian islets,\" which risks creating an illusion of safety while crowding them into limited, confined, and under-equipped areas where they remain vulnerable to attacks, whether inside or outside these \"islets.\"<\/p>\n\n In Gaza, there is no place where access to sufficient aid and services ensures the population's survival.<\/strong> In Rafah, essential services and infrastructure are only partially operational, including overwhelmed hospitals, bakeries, and water and sanitation facilities. The central and northern parts of Gaza are devastated: entire systems, infrastructures, and neighborhoods have been wiped out, and the entry of humanitarian organizations and aid remains restricted.<\/strong> If Israeli military operations intensify in Rafah, the consequences will be catastrophic for an already nearly paralyzed humanitarian response across the Gaza Strip, especially since aid coordination and infrastructure established since October 2023 are based in Rafah.<\/p>\n\n The Israeli government has announced its intention to extend its military operations there, and this risk has further increased since March 31,<\/strong> when the Israeli war cabinet approved plans to conduct ground operations in the southernmost governorate. While some States have publicly expressed their disapproval, international diplomatic pressure and statements have yet to yield results or halt the planned incursion.<\/strong> However, States have a range of protective measures at their disposal and are obligated to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian and human rights law, as demonstrated in other crises involving civilian protection.<\/p>\n\n States must urgently take measures to ensure the immediate implementation of a permanent ceasefire and explore all available options to protect the civilian population, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. This includes immediately halting the transfer of arms, spare parts, and ammunition where there is a risk they may be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law. Failure to do so is inevitable\u2014as is the failure to meet moral, humanitarian, and legal obligations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\nThere is no feasible evacuation plan, and conditions are not in place to protect civilians in the event of a ground incursion.<\/h2>\n\n
All States have an obligation to protect populations from atrocities. In Rafah, children and families live in constant fear and danger.<\/h2>\n\n
Signed by<\/h3>\n