Supreme Court's Decision to Cut Fuel Supplies to Gaza Violates International Humanitarian Law

30/11/2007

Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel * Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement * HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual * Physicians for Human Rights-Israel

* The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights * The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel * Gaza Community Mental Health Programme * B'Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories * Al-Haq * Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

Supreme Court's Decision to Cut Fuel Supplies to Gaza Violates International Humanitarian Law

In response to the Israeli Supreme Court's decision today, 30 November 2007, concerning the cuts to the fuel supply and electricity to Gaza, Attorney Hassan Jabareen, the General Director of Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and one of the lawyers representing the petitioners states that:

“The Supreme Court's ruling which confirms the Israeli government's decision to cut the supplies of fuel to Gaza violates the basic principles of international humanitarian law. These principles prohibit using civilians for political purposes and these actions amount to collective punishment. Today, they will cut the fuel and tomorrow, they might cut some of the food. The Court's decision to halt cuts to the electricity for 12 days might be perceived as an achievement but it is partial and temporary. The Court's decision today does not foresee a decision in the future in this case which respects the international humanitarian law.”

For more information, see: Adalah News Update, “Supreme Court Due to Deliver its Decision on Petition against State's Decision to Cut Supplies of Fuel and Electricity to the Gaza Strip,” 29 November 2007