Does The International Humanitarian Law Apply The Same For Everyone?

At least 32 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza since the truce expired on Friday morning, said Ashraf Al-Qidra, the spokesperson for Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, according to the ministry’s Telegram account.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN’s Palestine relief agency UNRWA, has raised serious concerns over a resumed Israeli assault in the south of the enclave potentially leading many of 1 million refugees to try to push over the border into Egypt.

Lazzarini has become one of the most outspoken UN officials in recent weeks, calling on Israel to follow rules of law and proportionality. He has described Gaza’s south as “completely overloaded” after Israel urged civilians in the north to relocate for their own safety.

He noted that the concept of unilateral safe zones in the south for civilians, if they are not agreed with Hamas, is full of risk. He noted the presence of 1 million people in UN installations. “Their locations are known, and despite that, really 100 installations have been hit.”

International Humanitarian Law & Concept of Proportionality

In addition, Lazzarini called on Israel to think of its world standing. The longer the conflict lasts and the bigger the death toll becomes, there will be a strong feeling in the region that international humanitarian law does not apply the same for everyone, he said.

A long clash is also likely to make the region more polarised. He added: “The most difficult concept in international humanitarian law is the concept of proportionality, but we have to be careful not to use this notion to justify the unjustifiable.”

Lazzarini futher highlighted the killing of more than 15,000 people in just 40 days, stating “I don’t see how this can be justified through the concept of proportionality and self-defence.” He called the figures “staggering”, noting the conflict as a “staggering human tragedy”.

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Furthermore, the UN official still feels haunted by his visit to an UNRWA training centre last week. He underscored the disturbing circumstances, emphasising that 35,000 displaced people at the centre have been living in just “appalling unsanitary living conditions”.