The Geneva Centre for Democracy and Human Rights GCDHR, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is following with great concern the continuing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have resulted in a large number of civilian casualties due to the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli army. During the last week, Israel has killed more than 35 people, mostly civilians, including children and women, in addition to injuring hundreds. Many homes were destroyed, as well as well known civilian facilities and public buildings. This insistence on aggression and the declared behaviour of the Israeli government represent a flagrant and widespread violation of the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The right to life is particularly violated and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights expresses its deep concern at the high number of civilian casualties and the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects in Gaza, with a clear intention to violate the principles of proportionality and distinction, which are among the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law that Israel is violating in regular basis. GCDHR has collected numerous testimonies confirming that the Israeli occupation forces have committed major atrocities and violations, some of which constitute war crimes. The GCDHR continues to monitor and document the violations it receives and holds the Israeli government solely responsible for the deterioration of security in the region as a result of its repeated attacks on Palestinians and its acts of perfidy prohibited by international humanitarian law. The Center calls on the international community to assume its responsibility to pressure the Israeli government to end its ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people and begin to hold the occupation seriously accountable for the crimes committed and documented. The GCDHR also renews the call for an international conference to consider the activation of legal and human rights tools and mechanisms to hold criminals accountable for their actions and ensure that they do not escape international justice.
