Law for Palestine Urges International Action Against Genocide in Gaza at Geneva Conference

Anisha Patel, a Board Member of Law for Palestine, delivered an intervention at a side event during the annual meeting of the Global Alliance of Human Rights Institutions at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The event, organized on May 7, 2024, by the Independent Commission for Human Rights, focused on the critical topic of Third States’ Responsibility in Preventing Genocide in Gaza.

Patel passionately called upon nations to abstain from providing military assistance to Israel, emphasizing the paramount importance of holding occupation authorities accountable under international legal frameworks, notably the International Criminal Court. She underscored the indispensable role of national human rights institutions in championing human rights protection globally.

Highlighting recent legal actions in The Netherlands and Germany aimed at halting arms exports to Israel, Patel showcased how national laws and International Court of Justice Provisional Measures Orders (ICJ PMOs) can be leveraged to compel states to actively prevent genocide and avoid complicity in such atrocities.

Furthermore, she emphasized the necessity of enabling individual criminal prosecutions, either domestically or internationally, as a crucial method for states to fulfill their legal obligations to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. Patel stressed that members of the Israeli forces could potentially face prosecution for crimes through national criminal processes, utilizing the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Patel urged National Human Rights Institutions to play a pivotal role in ensuring that states adhere to both international and national legal frameworks. As intermediaries between states and civil society, these institutions carry the responsibility of holding states accountable and safeguarding civil society actors and human rights defenders.

Full recording: https://www.facebook.com/ICHRP/videos/820452789976095/