Geneva, May 28 (RHC)-- Israel is clearly in violation of international law when it deliberately targets schools in Gaza during its genocidal aggression. 

International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which is based on a number of treaties, including the Geneva Conventions, seeks to limit the harmful consequences of war.  First and foremost, among its provisions is a rule that requires parties to any conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians at all times.  This means that civilians may never be the target of any attacks.

Warring parties are required to take all feasible precautions to minimise harm, not just to civilians, but also to civilian objects, such as homes, shops, schools, hospitals, houses of worship and cultural property.  These structures may not be attacked unless they are being used for military purposes, such as to launch attacks or for storing weapons and ammunition.

This is why Israel has repeatedly sought to justify its attacks on civilians by claiming that the hundreds of hospitals, schools and mosques it has destroyed in Gaza have all been “command and control complexes” run by Hamas.  It has failed to provide evidence to back these claims, however.

Now, even if the allegation were true, UN experts have said that Israel has to comply with the principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution, including issuing warnings for evacuation. But Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli attacks on Gaza have often been disproportionate and indiscriminate, and often take place without warning, resulting in high civilian casualties.

Israeli forces have now killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 17,000 children and more than 1,000 healthcare workers.

[ SOURCE: AL JAZEERA and NEWS AGENCIES ]