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The Israeli government must establish an independent inquiry to examine the offensive policies used during the conflict and the guidelines and orders provided to soldiers.
On Monday, June 22, 2015, the United Nations published a report by an independent commission of inquiry on the legal implications of Operation Protective Edge. There were no major surprises in the report, which asserted that both sides violated the laws of war, and that civilians in Israel and the Gaza Strip both experienced terrible and unnecessary suffering.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public remarks that he has no intention of reading the report indicates that the government is not prepared to seriously examine its wartime policies. The truly urgent issue demanding serious public discussion is not the relationship between Israel and the United Nations, but the IDF’s rules of engagement and its offensive policies.
We know that Hamas has no intention to comply with international laws and that unfortunately the residents of the South cannot exercise their rights to live in security and peace. As a human rights organization that fights against violations of civil liberties by the Israeli authorities, we are concerned that Israel’s internal mechanisms are still far from sufficient to meet the needs of international law.
During operation Protective Edge, ACRI demanded, and demands now once again, the establishment of an independent investigatory body to examine government policy and the orders given to soldiers. All that exists at the moment are individual criminal investigations for the behavior of soldiers in the field. Even if indictments are filed in some cases, and so far only a very few have been filed, this does not address the systemic and underlying problems. It is not just for individual soldiers on the ground to bear responsibility, but also the high-level decision makers in the military and in the government.
The use of weapons such as artillery in populated areas, the failure to take precautions to avoid harming innocent civilians and the reliance on warning alone, are just some of the issues that ACRI raised in the midst of Operation Protective Edge. It falls now to the Israeli government to understand the importance of these issues and take the necessary actions.
Related Links
The full report of the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry.
ACRI’s letter to the Attorney General about the Hannibal Protocol.
