IADL CONDEMNS ILLEGAL ISRAELI AGGRESSION IN GAZA IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS AND CALLS UPON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO END ISRAEL’S IMPUNITY AND TO TAKE CONCRETE ACTIONS TO END THE VIOLENCE.
The folllowing statement has been issued by the International Association of Democratic lawyers (IADL):
The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), with consultative status at ECOSOC and thousands of affiliated lawyers and organizations around the world, condemns in the strongest possible terms the current aggression by Israel against the people of the Gaza Strip. Together with a number of Palestinian NGO’s our affiliate the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has released the following statement:
“Since Wednesday evening, 14 November 2012, Israeli Occupation Forces have continued their offensive on the Gaza Strip, codenamed “Operation Pillar of Defence” through aerial, marine and ground bombardment throughout the Gaza Strip, using missiles and artilleries. This is occurring amidst increasing Israeli threats to expand the offensive with a ground invasion; large numbers of Israeli troops have been deployed at the borders of the Gaza Strip, and it is reported that 75,000 reservists have been called up.
Contrary to claims by the Israeli government that Israeli forces do not target civilians, the outcome of this offensive so far has indicated that it is primarily civilians who pay the price. 27 civilians have been killed, including 10 children and 5 women, and 520 others, including 140 children and 48 women, have been wounded. Israeli forces have attacked civilian facilities, including houses, mosques, churches and schools, and governmental buildings of a completely civil nature, such as the buildings of the Council of Ministers and the Civil Department of the Ministry of Interior.