Jerusalem/PNN/
Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, has called for a suspension of arms transfers to both Israel and Palestinian armed groups as the ongoing conflict in the region continues to escalate. The organization warns that providing weapons that may contribute to unlawful attacks could implicate those supplying such arms in war crimes.
The conflict has witnessed grave abuses and potential war crimes committed by both Israel and Palestinian armed groups. In a shocking incident on October 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups intentionally targeted Israeli civilians, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties and over 200 hostages. In retaliation, Israel imposed severe restrictions on Gaza, including cutting off electricity, fuel, food, and water supplies, as well as limiting the entry of crucial humanitarian aid. These actions are considered collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.
Bruno Stagno, Chief Advocacy Officer at Human Rights Watch, expressed his concern, stating, "Civilians are experiencing unprecedented levels of suffering and violence in Israel and Palestine. The United States, Iran, and other governments run the risk of complicity in grave abuses if they continue to provide military assistance to parties known for violating international laws."
Human Rights Watch has specifically called on Israel's key allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany, to suspend military assistance and arms sales to Israel as long as its forces persist in committing widespread and serious abuses that amount to war crimes against Palestinian civilians with impunity. Similarly, the organization urges Iran and other governments to cease providing arms to Palestinian armed groups, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as long as these groups systematically carry out attacks that constitute war crimes against Israeli civilians.
Since October 7, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 Israelis and over 9,700 Palestinians, with many of the casualties being civilians, according to local authorities.
During the ongoing hostilities, Israeli forces have employed collective punishment against Gaza's civilian population by depriving them of essential resources, including water, electricity, and food. They have also deliberately hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Furthermore, Israeli forces have used explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas, causing significant destruction and raising concerns about indiscriminate attacks. The use of white phosphorus, an incendiary material that causes severe harm to human flesh and may lead to lifelong suffering, has also been documented in populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon.
Israel's military issued an order for over one million people in northern Gaza to evacuate to the southern part of the region due to military operations in the north. However, this directive left civilians with no safe place to go, potentially resulting in mass forced displacement, which constitutes a war crime. Israel has also sealed its border crossings, preventing people from seeking refuge.
On the other side, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have intentionally targeted civilians, taken them hostage, and launched thousands of rockets at Israeli communities, all of which are war crimes. Statements made by the leaders of Israel and Palestinian armed groups indicate their intention to continue these serious abuses. Israeli officials have effectively held Gaza's entire population responsible for the October 7 attack, suggesting that humanitarian aid should not be provided until Hamas is "eliminated." In response, a spokesman for Hamas's military wing threatened to broadcast the "execution of one of our enemy's civilian hostages."
Human Rights Watch warns that continued military transfers to Israel and Palestinian armed groups, while serious violations of international law persist, risk making the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany complicit in these abuses if they knowingly and significantly contribute to them. Providing weapons to Palestinian armed groups, given their ongoing unlawful attacks, also carries the risk of implicating Iran in these violations.
These current abuses come after years of systematic violations, including unlawful air strikes by Israeli forces in Gaza, indiscriminate rocket attacks on civilian communities in Israel by Palestinian armed groups, as well as Israel's alleged crimes against humanity related to apartheid and persecution against Palestinians, all committed with impunity.
US President Joseph R. Biden recently requested $14.3 billion in additional arms sales to Israel, on top of the $3.8 billion in annual US military aid to Israel. On November 2, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to provide this military aid. Since October 7, the United States has either transferred or announced plans to transfer various weapons, including Small Diameter Bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits, 155mm artillery shells, and a million rounds of ammunition.
The United Kingdom has licensed the sale of £442 million ($539 million) worth of arms to Israeli forces since 2015, including aircraft, bombs, and ammunition. Canada exported CDN$47 million ($33 million) in arms in 2021 and 2022, while Germany issued licenses for €862 million ($916 million) in arms sales to Israel between 2015 and 2019.
In January 2022, Hamas leadership publicly stated that they received at least $70 million in military assistance from Iran, without specifying the duration of this support.
Bruno Stagno emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, "How many more civilian lives must be lost, and how much more suffering must they endure due to war crimes? It is imperative that countries supplying weapons to Israel and Palestinian armed groups take immediate action to avoid complicity in these atrocities."
