The Istanbul Bar Association has released a written statement regarding the Israel-Palestine war, which has been ongoing for 12 days.
The statement included the following: "Targeting civilians and hospitals in the conflicts constitutes the crime of genocide, and it is clear that state policies remain indifferent to this issue and that international law is not being enforced."
FULL TEXT OF THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE ISTANBUL BAR ASSOCIATION:
"In the armed conflicts that have begun on Palestinian and Israeli lands, international conventions are being disregarded, and innocent civilians are being cruelly massacred without regard for age or gender; a crime against humanity is being committed before the eyes of the world. The latest example of this is the bombing of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on October 17, 2023. Hundreds of civilians were massacred in this attack.
Before the eyes of the world, densely populated residential areas and hospitals are being targeted, and people are being removed from their homes or forced to leave. It is being witnessed that the number of civilians living under these conditions is increasing, residential areas are being damaged, and the situation is reaching a stage where even basic humanitarian needs are not being met due to embargoes and blockades.
It is evident that there is a serious threat contrary to humanitarian law regarding the rights of civilians in the region to access the most basic needs such as shelter, clean water, nutrition, medicine, and healthcare.
At this point, targeting civilians and hospitals in the conflicts and subjecting civilians to harsh living conditions constitutes the crime of genocide, and it is clear that state policies remain indifferent to this issue and that international law is not being enforced.
However, humanity cannot normalize such situations.
It is a humanitarian necessity to stop lethal interventions against civilians and to ensure their evacuation from the region, especially children, women, the sick, and the wounded.
We invite international organizations, primarily the United Nations, to fulfill their responsibilities to stop this crime against humanity and to ensure peace.
The application of law will be the first step toward peace. In this context, it must be remembered that the resolution of the Palestinian issue will only be possible through the implementation of United Nations resolutions, which are the currently valid law, and the establishment of a new, permanent legal peace process that includes the lifting of the siege imposed on the civilian population.
Just as the law is universal, lawyers must also unite under a universal perspective with the goals of taking a stand against crime and demanding peace through the law. For this reason, our letter calling on legal institutions from all over the world, including the Federation of European Bar Associations, of which the Istanbul Bar Association is a founder and member, to be the voice of peace and law, was sent today (18.10.2023).
The Istanbul Bar Association, which adopts the motto of our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, “Peace at Home, Peace in the World,” will continue to be the voice of peace, law, and those who cannot make their voices heard."
News Source: 12punto
