Israel and UK's Morality Questioned Over Arms Sales and Aid to Gaza
- UN report accuses Israeli military and Palestinian groups of committing war crimes and rights abuses in Gaza since October.
- Oxfam chief criticizes UK for sending arms to Israel and aid to Gaza, labeling it as morally incoherent.
- The issue of arms sales and aid to Gaza raises questions about the morality of the involved parties.
Navi Pillay, chairperson of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, accused Israel of committing crimes against humanity, including forced starvation, extermination, murder, and inhuman treatment of Palestinians. The report presented to the UN Human Rights Council highlighted the Israeli military's actions in Gaza, such as forcibly transferring the population into unsafe areas and using heavy weapons in civilian areas. The commission found that Israeli forces engaged in sexual and gender-based violence to humiliate and subjugate Palestinians. Additionally, Palestinian women and men were targeted with violence and harassment. The report also mentioned war crimes committed by Palestinian groups, including Hamas, against southern Israel. The ongoing conflict has resulted in a significant number of casualties, with more than 37,000 Palestinians killed, including many children. The report may not immediately impact Israel's behavior but could be used as evidence in future legal proceedings. The head of Oxfam GB criticized the supply of arms to Israel while providing humanitarian aid to Gaza as morally inconsistent. The UK and US have previously halted arms sales to Israel in response to past conflicts. The situation in Gaza raises concerns about the disregard for humanitarian law and human rights principles. Oxfam's intervention in arms sales to Saudi Arabia in Yemen serves as a precedent for challenging unlawful arms deals.