The United Nations Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, said that requiring more than a million Gazans to move from north to south is a “violation” of international law.
This came in a statement regarding the ongoing intensified Israeli attacks against the besieged Gaza Strip.
Rajagopal pointed out that “launching a military operation in Gaza knowing that it will destroy civilian infrastructure and housing is a war crime.”
He stressed “the need for the world to act immediately to end the horrific and mass attacks that target civilian housing and infrastructure and affect people’s lives.”
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The UN rapporteur stated that “systematic or widespread bombing of housing, civilian facilities and infrastructure is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law, criminal law and human rights law.”
He pointed out that such actions fall under “war crimes.”
He added, “These actions amount to crimes against humanity when directed against the civilian population.”
The UN official stressed that “residential buildings, hospitals, ambulances, schools, churches, mosques, infrastructure facilities and refugee camps are not military targets.”
He added, “Civilian homes in Israel are also included in this scope, and attacking them from Gaza or anywhere else is considered a war crime.”
