The focus must remain Israeli wrongdoing and Israeli obligations as we define them, and if that means Gaza civilians remain in harm’s way, so be it. Remember, we’re a human rights organization.
Rafah, Egypt, October 26 – Human Rights groups continued to scramble today, in search of texts governing armed conflict that would justify keeping civilians in harm’s way, as the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip are attempting to do, with help from Egypt.
Activists from several human rights organizations asked for delays in interviews Thursday while they looked up possible justifications under International Humanitarian Law and the laws of Armed Conflict to support Hamas’s policy in the last several weeks of confining Gaza civilians to their hometown neighborhoods instead of allowing those residents to move to areas with fewer military targets or activity.
“If those civilians leave, that would be ethnic cleansing,” insisted Omar Shakir of Human Rights Watch. “I think that’s in the legal definition of the term. Hold on while I look this up… huh… no, I could have sworn it was there. No, not Israelis fleeing the south and north of their country because of Hamas and Hezbollah threats. That obviously doesn’t count as ethnic cleansing. What are you, Islamophobic?”
“It’s urgent that we explain Egypt’s refusal to allow Gazans to leave is legal,” explained Rinat Freund of Gisha, an Israeli NGO that advocates for freedom of movement for Palestinians. “We spend our lives trying to get Israeli to risk Israeli lives by reducing or eliminating restrictions on Palestinian movement, both within Israeli-controlled territories where Palestinians live, and into Israel itself. We cannot do that if Egypt, for example, allows refugees to leave Gaza through its territory. The focus must remain on Israeli wrongdoing and Israeli obligations as we define them, and if that means Gaza civilians remain in harm’s way, that’s a small price to pay. Remember, we’re a human rights organization.”
Commentators noted the difference between the current conflict – which erupted on almost three weeks ago when Hamas terrorists, with Iranian logistical and intelligence help, went on a rampage into southern Israel, killing 1400, wounding thousands, kidnapping hundreds, mutilating and looting, and gang-raping an unknown number of women and girls, followed by processions of captive and corpses back in Gaza – and other wars: refugees flee other wars, and international aid agencies are dedicated to facilitating their escape from danger; Palestinians, however, must stay at all costs, according to many of the same activists who offer aid and resettlement to other fleeing populations.
“Aid organizations can’t leverage other conflicts against Israel,” observed one. “So in conflicts where Israel doesn’t play a part, they actually have to do the job they were established to do.”
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