The unfounded accusations of the Hague Court: the truth about the IDF.
The ICC prosecutor’s accusations against Israel are unfounded. It is stated, with a wealth of arguments, in a document by the High Level Military Group.
Giampaolo Galli
The High Level Military Group, comprised of prominent international figures from NATO, has intervened with its document to defend Netanyahu and Gallant from the accusations—and corresponding arrest warrants—issued by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Given the obligatory nature of the precedents, they did so as a party directly involved in the proceedings in question because, should the charges be confirmed, “it would set standards that are unsustainable and unrealistic regarding military operations and the facilitation of humanitarian operations… and would be unacceptable for other democracies and their armed forces (including those of our countries) when engaged in urban guerrilla warfare.” The document certifies that the IDF is doing the utmost possible—and anyway more than any army in the past—to minimize civilian casualties and to facilitate humanitarian aid. The problems that have occurred are mostly the result of actions by Hamas: the initial blockade of the Erez crossing (bombed by Hamas on October 7), the continuous missile attacks against the Kerem Shalom crossing, the destruction of electric cables and water pipes between Israel and Gaza in territories controlled by Hamas, the widespread use of civilians as human shields, and the confiscation of humanitarian aid—including fuel—for military purposes. Despite nearly prohibitive conditions, the Israeli army has rebuilt the conditions for the arrival of humanitarian aid, reopening the crossings, facilitating aid by air, and constructing a landing for aid by sea: just a few days after the October 7 attack, humanitarian aid was able to flow freely into Gaza. Therefore, the accusation of having created a siege situation to the detriment of the population of Gaza is false. It is also completely unfounded to accuse [them] of deliberately targeting civilians. Among other things, the army has a digital map that provides real-time information on population density in each area of the strip, which is used to minimize civilian casualties. To this are added millions of messages (through leaflets, voice and text messages) to forewarn civilians. This strategy of minimizing civilian damage is an integral part of the rules of engagement, so much so that a special section of the IDF has opened investigations into about 300 incidents that could lead to the indictment of some military commanders; no other army has ever done anything similar. Of course, this strategy of minimizing damage is made very complex by the fact that Hamas militants wear civilian clothes and hide under schools, hospitals, and other densely populated places. Perhaps it is these crimes that should be brought into the spotlight.
August 8, 2024