The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva said in an interview last week that the missiles fired by Hamas against Israel represent a “crime against humanity.”
The envoy, Ibrahim Khreisheh, indicated in the interview on Palestinian Authority TV that such a sentiment might be politically unpopular, noting that he is “not a candidate in any Palestinian elections, so I don’t need to win popularity among the Palestinians.” He added that Israel is also guilty of “crimes against humanity.”
I am not a candidate in any Palestinian elections, so I don’t need to win popularity among the Palestinians. The missiles that are now being launched against Israel, each and every missile missile constitutes a crime against humanity, whether it hits or misses, because it is directed at civilian targets. What Israel does against Palestinian civilians also constitutes crimes against humanity. With regard to crimes of war under the Fourth Geneva Convention —the settlements, the Judaization, the checkpoints, the arrests, and so on — we find ourselves on very solid ground.
Khreisheh went on to say that the Israeli army warned Palestinians living in Gaza to evacuate before a bombardment.
However, there is a Palestinian weakness with regard to the other issue. Therefore, targeting civilians — be it one civilian or a thousand — is considered a crime against humanity.
Please note that many of our people in Gaza appeared on TV and said that the Israeli army warned them to evacuate their homes before the bombardment. In such a case, if someone is killed, the law considers it a mistake rather than intentional killing because [the Israelis] followed the legal procedures. As for the missiles launched from our side, we never warn anyone about where these missiles are about to fall, or about the operations we carry out. Therefore, people should know more before they talk emotionally about appealing to the [International Criminal Court].
