LONDON: The International Criminal Court must investigate Israel’s siege of Gaza, Palestine’s ambassador to the UK said on Tuesday, adding that Tel Aviv has committed war crimes in its 10-day bombardment of the enclave’s 2 million people.
The Israel Defense Forces have killed medical and rescue teams with airstrikes as they attempted to reach civilians, Husam Zomlot told a press briefing attended by Arab News.
He described Israel’s alleged use of white phosphorus and “disproportionate, lethal” bombardments as a war crime, calling on ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan to “take his job immediately and with responsibility.”
Zomlot said: “The sad fact is that a Palestinian is being killed every five minutes. We won’t allow another round of mass ethnic cleansing in Palestine. We won’t allow for a second Nakba.”
The Arabic word for “catastrophe” is used to describe the expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland in 1948.
Despite ordering Palestinians in northern Gaza to move south ahead of a massive ground, sea and air assault, Israel has also killed civilians abiding by the edict, in a violation of international law, Zomlot said, adding: “This is the time for Karim Khan and for the ICC to investigate the white phosphorus and investigate any crimes.
“However, international actors — the US included, and the UK — should stop blocking the ICC from doing its work, its business, its mandate. The West must stop shielding Israel from any accountability.”
Zomlot called for the immediate opening of humanitarian aid channels into Gaza. Last week, Israel launched what it termed a “complete siege” of the enclave, cutting off power, food and water.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is “fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
The death and injury toll from Israel’s bombardment of Gaza is far higher than reported, Zomlot said, adding that the latest conflict is only adding to the enclave’s “16 years of utter misery” since the 2007 blockade.
Calling for an immediate cease-fire, he said: “What we need right now isn’t revenge but justice.”
Zomlot spoke about the personal toll that the “100 years of conflict” has had on his family. “My own grandparents were forced out of their homes. I’ve lost family. I know the price of losing civilians,” he said, adding that he is “very worried” about the potential for the war to expand, rating his concern as “nine out 10.”
He said: “I’m worried about community cohesion and relations everywhere, because I don’t see that international leadership that will cuddle and hug others equally and cool things down.”
Zomlot condemned Western news outlets — naming the BBC, Sky News and CNN — for contributing to the escalation of violence, calling on the media to provide context to the fighting.
“This (conflict) didn’t start on Oct. 7,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation, and the UK media in particular needs to be much more careful. We need to make sure that the media is there to simply tell the truth.
“Media shouldn’t work as political campaigning agencies. Last week, I was completely and utterly disheartened by the lack of focus, the lack of carefulness (in news reporting).”