Prevention of Aggression on Gaza Less Costly than Dealing with its Effects, says Human Rights Center

KHAN YOUNIS, August 21, 2011 (WAFA) - Al-Mezan center for Human Rights Sunday said that preventing the Israeli aggression on Palestinians in Gaza costs less than dealing with its effects.

In a press release, the center stressed that making efforts to stop the Israeli aggression certainly costs less on all levels, particularly on a humanitarian level; where it could save the lives of civilians and prevent major humanitarian crisis.

It called for an immediate international move, urging the international community, UN's security council and other UN bodies as well as the European Union to ensure full respect of the international law and to exert intensive diplomatic and political efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli escalation, which raises concern of committing massive war crimes by the Israeli occupation similar to those committed by the Israeli forces in the 2008-2009 war.

The centre stressed that the ongoing Israeli escalation proves the continued failure of the occupying forces to comply with the international law's principles, which prohibit from targeting civilians and their property during a state of armed conflict or occupation, including committing extrajudicial assassinations and targeting of civilians.

It said that the failure of the international protection mechanism and continued politicization of human rights, regarding the Palestinian cause and the Arab-Israeli conflict, contributed directly in reinforcing the principle of impunity for violations of humanitarian and international laws and norms, encouraging Israel to continue with such violations, which could lead to committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It added that the Gaza strip has been under full blockade for more than four years now, where the level of human rights' conditions and essential services deteriorated, in particular the health sector that suffers from acute shortage in medicine supplies, equipments, in addition to tens of thousands of Palestinians who were displaced after the Israeli forces destroyed their houses and the siege prevented them from rebuilding them.

Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA