Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on Palestine, said yesterday that Israel has breached international law with its relentless bombardment of Gaza that has levelled entire neighborhoods and killed thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians.
In a press conference held in the Spanish capital, Madrid, Albanese asserted, “Israel has done a number of things that are highly illegal, highly unlawful,” emphasizing the need to respect international humanitarian law to protect non-combatants, civilians, prisoners of war, and the sick and wounded.
She clarified that this involves distinguishing between combatants and civilians and ensuring that military attacks are proportionate to avoid undue harm to civilians.
Instead, Albanese highlighted that over 100 days of intense bombing occurred, with 6,000 bombs, each weighing around a ton, being dropped by Israel weekly during the initial two weeks. These attacks took place in densely populated areas.
She pointed out, “Most hospitals have been disabled. A significant number of them, major hospitals, have been closed, bombed, or seized by the occupation army. People are now dying not only due to the bombs but also because of the lack of adequate health infrastructure to treat their injuries.”
Albanese continued, “The shocking number of children having their limbs amputated every day, one or two limbs. In the first two months of this (war), limbs were amputated for a thousand children without anesthesia. It’s horrifying.”
She stated unequivocally, “Nothing justifies what Israel is doing.”
Of note, UN special rapporteurs are not UN employees but independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council.
(WAFA)
