What does NRC think | The Netherlands must condemn Israel much more openly after the umpteenth violation of war law

The randomness and total lack of respect for war conventions by the Israeli army shout the viewer to the viewer a video That a Palestinian care provider made on March 23. Rarely is an execution so penetratingly portrayed, and rarely is a lie with so much overwhelming evidence unmasked. The issue deserves much more than just an international conviction, also from the Netherlands.

The incident took place in southern Gaza, where a convoy of Palestinian ambulances and a fire truck started in the early morning of March 23. The images show how flashing lights and headlights were on, nobody could escape that care providers were on their way. The convoy stopped when it saw an ambulance on the side of the road. The care providers were shot there for minutes. Only one of the sixteen survived. The others were thrown into a mass grave.

The images of one of the victims only recently came out, it took days before employees of the Palestinian red crescent could reach the murdered care providers. It was immediately clear that Israel had lied about the circumstances. The story was that Hamas fighters had been shot, and that the vehicles behaved ‘suspicious’. According to Israel, for example, they were not well recognizable as an auxiliary crap and the care providers did not wear clear emblems. The images make it clear that that story is incorrect.

The Israeli government says it will further investigate the incident. The relatives of the victims deserve that the truth is done justice. But the only reason why further research is being welded is because film images have delved into it. According to the United Nations, since the start of the war on October 7, 2023 408 care providers Arrived in Gaza, and there may be many more. Israel cannot hide behind the argument that Hamas uses ambulances and hospitals as a human shield. Every party in a war has the duty to save citizens and care providers, and to do everything to prevent arbitrariness. That is clearly not happening here, and on countless other moments. The international aid organizations can hardly work in Gaza, they are regularly the target. The violence must be convicted much sharper by the international community, and must be accompanied by targeted action, for example sanctions.

The reaction of allies, including the Netherlands, is sadly after exceptions. Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs, NSC) said that the incident seems to be a violation of war law. In Buitenhof He said to believe more in diplomacy « behind the scenes. » But now that every moral border is exceeded, it is necessary that Western democracies speak openly. There have been more than fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war, most civilians. Innocents such as children, journalists and care providers are systematically the target. The war continues because the war continues. He serves no purpose, except for maintaining the Netanyahu government. The Israeli hostages do not come home faster due to this horrible new escalation. Hamas is not defeated. It is precisely countries that rely on human rights and international law do not mention the duty.

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