Speak out for peace in Gaza:
 Amnesty's Open Letter to the Government of Canada

To: Hon. Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Government of Canada

Dear Minister Cannon,

Amnesty International is gravely concerned about the mounting number of civilian casualties in Gaza as attacks by Israeli forces continue, including extensive ground attacks launched over the weekend. The situation worsens with each passing day. We are writing this open letter to you to urge that the Canadian government immediately, forcefully and unequivocally press Israeli authorities, the Hamas de-facto administration and all other Palestinian armed groups to stop all unlawful attacks and to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law.

We have noted your statement yesterday calling for “renewed international diplomatic efforts to achieve a sustainable and durable ceasefire” and for “the international community to come together to address the humanitarian situation.” Building on that statement Amnesty International calls on the Canadian government forcefully and very concretely to press the following crucial points:

  • Demand an immediate end to reckless and unlawful Israeli attacks against densely populated residential areas.
  • Reiterate the demand that Hamas and all other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza stop firing indiscriminate rockets against towns and villages in southern Israel.
  • Make it absolutely clear to all parties to the current conflict that they cannot target civilians, cannot carry out indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks that put civilian lives in danger and must comply with their international human rights and humanitarian law obligations.
  • Press members of the UN Security Council to adopt a strong resolution condemning attacks against civilians by both Israel and Hamas, demanding that such attacks cease immediately, and calling on Israel to lift restrictions on the passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
  • Urge the UN Security Council to consider the deployment of international monitors to Gaza, who could help to verify compliance with international law by both Israel and the Palestinian administration in Gaza.
  • Insist that Israel grant the wounded in Gaza access to hospitals in Israel and to Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank.
  • Request Egyptian authorities to open Egyptian hospitals to those in need of medical care which is not available in Gaza and ensure that Egyptian border guards do not resort to excessive use of force against those fleeing the attacks in Gaza.
  • Insist that Hamas ensures that its security forces and militias do not, under any circumstances, hinder or prevent the passage of the wounded or others patients trying to leave Gaza.
  • Demand that Israel immediately end the blockade that has purposefully deprived 1.5 million people in Gaza of food and other basic necessities.
  • Call on Israel to allow international humanitarian and human rights workers immediate and safe access to Gaza.
The risk to civilians in Gaza has grown steadily since Israeli officials tightened the blockade against the territory in early November, which resulted in grave shortages of food, medical supplies, water, electricity and other necessities. The tightening of the blockade came as a response to ongoing firing of rockets from Gaza into towns and villages in southern Israel. International humanitarian and human rights workers, as well as journalists, have not been allowed into Gaza by the Israeli army since the beginning of November, with the exception of a few journalists who were allowed in for a short period in December. Amnesty International has repeatedly called on Israeli authorities to allow humanitarian workers, journalists and human rights monitors in to Gaza so that they can assess needs, report violations and publicize the reality of the situation on the ground.

Despite assurances from Israeli authorities that humanitarian aid is being allowed into Gaza, the reality is that the quantity of humanitarian aid, fuel and other supplies which has been allowed into Gaza in recent months is only a fraction of what is required. UN agencies, on whose food handouts 80 percent of Gaza’s 1.5 million inhabitants depend, have repeatedly complained about the Israeli authorities’ refusal to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

The grim situation in Gaza quickly became a dire emergency with the launch of the massive military offensive by Israeli forces on December 27th. The offensive has included extensive aerial bombardment, artillery shelling from gunboats and the recent incursion by thousands of ground troops. While many Israeli attacks have targeted and killed Palestinian combatants, including leaders of Hamas, other attacks have been directed at civilian buildings not being used for military purposes. They have targeted civilians such as police cadets or have been disproportionate, recklessly endangering civilians and causing a mounting toll of civilian casualties.

Since the beginning of the offensive on 27 December, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 100 unarmed civilians, scores of children and some 165 civilian police taking no part in the conflict. More than 2,000 Palestinians have been injured. This is the highest level of Palestinian fatalities and casualties in four decades of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

During the same period five Israelis have been killed, including three civilians killed in rocket attacks by Palestinian armed groups from the Gaza Strip.

The death toll in Gaza has almost certainly been exacerbated by the unavailability of adequate medical care for the hundreds of injured. The health sector in Gaza lacks equipment, medicine and expertise at the best of times and has been further depleted due to the prolonged Israeli blockade. It is now completely overwhelmed and unable to cope with the large number of casualties. The Gaza Pediatric Hospital reports that most of its windows have been smashed by the blasts from bombardments and plastic sheets are being used to block the cold.

In advance of the ground incursion which commenced this past weekend, Amnesty International again called on Israeli forces to ensure that they do not carry out attacks that pose an indiscriminate or disproportionate risk to civilians. We pointed out that there are no ‘safe’ places in Gaza for civilians to seek shelter. We noted that the Jabalia Refugee Camp is exceptionally densely populated and homes are mostly light structures with flimsy asbestos roofs and not able to withstand the effect of strikes. In such circumstances, artillery and other military strikes are virtually sure to kill and injure civilians. We have stressed that the Israeli army must always choose means and methods of attack that are least likely to harm civilians.

There have been many tragic instances of civilian deaths in Gaza since the escalation of violence on November 27th.
  • On 27 December seven students from a school run by the United Nations were killed outside the school, just after lessons finished as they were trying to get home. The Israeli bombardment had first started at about 11.30 a.m. on a Saturday, a day and time when the streets are very busy, particularly as children finish school just after midday, just as the initial bombardment was at its most intense. Seven students from a UNRWA school were killed outside the school just after lessons finished and they were trying to get home.
  • On 28 December five sisters from the Baalousha family aged four to 17, (Jawhir, 4; Dina, 8; Samar, 12; Ikram, 14; and Tahrir, 17) were killed in their home in Jabalia Refugee Camp, located north of Gaza city in Gaza’s most densely populated area. Four other children siblings were injured when the mosque near their home was bombed, and theirs and several other homes were destroyed and damaged.
  • In the night of 28-29 December three bothers from the al-Absi family aged three to 14 yrs (Sedqi, 3; Ahmad, 12; and Muhammad, 14) were killed along with their mother while several other siblings were injured when their home was destroyed by a strike in a refugee camp in Rafah, south Gaza.
  • A night watchman/guard was killed on 3 January when the International School in the north of Gaza, known as one of the best private educational institutions in Gaza, was destroyed by an Israeli air strike.
Minister Cannon, each of the past ten days has been marked by similar instances of danger, death and suffering for civilians in Gaza. At the same time, civilians living in southern Israel live in ongoing fear of further rocket attacks. Canada’s voice must firmly insist that all civilians in the region be protected and that all unlawful attacks cease immediately. We look forward to hearing of the action Canada takes towards that goal.

Sincerely,

Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada
(English branch)

Béatrice Vaugrante
Directrice Générale
Amnistie internationale Canada francophone

 

 

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