Description
THE RULES OF WAR ARE CLEAR
Everyone fighting a war needs to respect the rules of war, both governmental forces and non-State armed groups. Those who break the laws must be held accountable for war crimes committed. There are no exceptions.
The Palestinian people are not terrorists. You cannot hold a population of people accountable for the actions of a minority. Civilians are civilians. We may have differing opinions, religions, beliefs or political affiliations, but is never ok to kill, rape, kidnap, harass, dehumanize, torture, (the list goes on), another human being. This applies to both sides of this conflict. This applies to us all.
Islamophobia and anti-semitism are never acceptable under any circumstance.
Being pro-human rights and anti-genocide is not anti-semitic.
1. CIVILIANS MUST BE PROTECTED
It is illegal to target civilians and civilian objects, things like homes, schools, infrastructure, journalists and hospitals. Doing so is war crime. This protection also includes no unnecessary or excessive loss or suffering. The tactics and weapons used in war must be proportionate and necessary to achieve a definitive military objective.
The use of weapons that are "by nature indiscriminate” are prohibited, using them is a war crime.
2. THE SICK AND WOUNDED MUST BE CARED FOR REGARDLESS OF WHOSE SIDE THEY’RE ON
This includes soldiers, civilians and medical staff. Detainees are also protected under international law, this includes protection from acts of violence and intimidation. The lives, rights and dignity of detainees should be preserved. They must be given food and water, protected from violence and allowed to communicate with their families. There are no exceptions to this rule, even when torture might elicit lifesaving information.
Torture and other forms of cruel, degrading or ill treatment are expressly prohibited, using these tactics is a war crime.
Medical facilities can lose their protection if they’re used outside of their humanitarian function to commit harmful acts. However, the attacking party has to do everything feasible to verify that the facility has lost its protected status. This means that it has to do a factual assessment before the attack.
You need concrete and verifiable evidence, this is not a free license to attack hospitals based on your opinion. Doing so is a war crime.
Every attack is subject to principles of proportionality and precaution. This means that the party to the conflict has to do everything feasible in order to avoid or at least minimize harm to patients and medical staff. Such as allowing staff and patients to be evacuated which, under everyday circumstances is very difficult to do but during a war with roads and infrastructure damaged, it is virtually impossible to evacuate all patients and staff. Therefore, under the principle of proportionality the attacking party has to ask itself: will the death, the injury, the destruction caused by this operation not be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage pursued?
Bombing hospitals filled with injured civilians and medical staff or bombing civilians taking shelter in tents in hospital parking lots or bombing ambulances filled with wounded civilians, or bombing refugee camps are war crimes.
3. THE DEAD MUST BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY
Warring parties must facilitate the return of the dead to their loved ones. The bodies must be treated with care and protected from harm.
Causing harm or destruction to bodies or graves, such as tearing up cemeteries with bulldozers or stealing bodies, is a war crime.
4. HUMANITARIAN AID MUST BE ACCESSIBLE
Food, water, medicine must be able to reach people. Parties of the conflict must facilitate humanitarian access. This means that restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid, through naval and air blockades, closing ports, restricting road access or confiscating supplies or turning off access to power and water is prohibited.
Deliberately delaying or stopping humanitarian aid from reaching people in need or deliberately causing starvation and hunger is a war crime.
The rules of war must be applied without discrimination regardless of the persons race, sex, nationality, political opinion or religion.
These are the facts and they are clear.
They are not open for discussion or debate on whataboutisms.
Human rights are human rights. Equality, dignity, liberty and security for all.
Free Palestine and cease fire now.
---
AI + Collage + Text by @dehiscenceart - Minted for #Tez4Pal with 100% of primary sales going to Inara.org
Basic Rules of the Geneva Convention and their Additional Protocols
https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/assets/files/other/icrc_002_0365.pdf