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ICRC Chief Says Israel Violating Geneva Convention on Civilian Protection
AMMAN, Nov 6 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday accused Israel of violating the provisions of the 4th Geneva Convention in the Palestinian territories.
Paul Grossrieder made the remarks at a press conference in Amman ahead of talks Tuesday with Israeli officials as part of a regional tour that will also take him to the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
"Our work, our raison d'etre, since 1967 [Arab-Israeli war] is to precisely monitor the respect by the Israeli authorities of the different provisions of the 4th Geneva Convention," Grossrieder said.
"It is clear there are many violations: the [Jewish] settlements are illegal, the destruction of [Palestinian] houses," by Israeli troops, he said.
The ability of the ICRC to visit Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails and guarantee freedom of movement for ambulances to carry wounded to hospitals should be "fundamental to the behavior of the Israeli authorities."
Israel has repeatedly denied access to Palestinian detainees and has blocked ambulances from reaching Palestinians wounded by Israeli forces.
"Certain clauses of international law are not respected. Israel is part of these treaties and is bound to them and has to respect them," he said in of the 4th Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in time of war.
Grossrieder said he expected to discuss these issues with Israeli officials on Tuesday and would also meet Palestinian leaders Wednesday following a brief visit to the Palestinian territories Sunday.
"Our aim is to look after the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian population and as far as I could see yesterday [Sunday], when I toured a little bit some parts of these territories, and I could compare with what I had seen 14 years ago when I was based in the territories as a delegate of the ICRC, there is no comparison," he said.
"The seriousness [of the situation] is greater," he said.
Grossrieder said he would also discuss the fate of three Israeli soldiers believed to be held by the Lebanese Muslim fundamentalist group Hezbollah, although he had no information about them.
"I heard the news about the likely death of the three [soldiers]. This point will be raised [in Israel] but I have no special information or news about these three soldiers," Grossrieder said.
On Friday, the Israeli army's chief rabbi, Israel Weiss, said the three soldiers captured in a Hezbollah raid last year on a disputed border zone "should be considered as no longer alive."
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah later dismissed the report as a negotiating "game" that his movement refused to play.
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