International law expert: "Israel does not have to accept this"
Israel is under international pressure for its conduct of the war. German international law expert Matthias Herdegen defends the military's actions. He sees serious violations on the part of Hamas.
The Bonn-based international law expert Matthias Herdegen has defended Israel against international criticism. Despite the many civilian casualties on the Palestinian side, the much-criticized actions of the Israeli armed forces in the Gaza Strip are legally justified, Herdegen told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. "Israel does not have to accept Hamas permanently entrenching itself behind defenceless civilians in an illegal manner."
"International law does not force the attacked party to limit its combat operations in such a way that the number of casualties suffered by the attacker does not exceed the number of people killed in their own country," Herdegen explained. "Such a barrier would undermine the right to self-defense, especially against those parties to the conflict who make victims among their own population the means of their struggle."
In turn, the expert accused the militant Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas of serious violations by setting up weapons caches under clinics, residential buildings and schools. "Even this form of preparation for a conflict is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law." In this case, a hospital also loses its absolute protection under international law.
The actions of the Israeli army and, in particular, the storming of the Al-Shaifa hospital in the city of Gaza in recent days had provoked international criticism. Israel suspects that the headquarters of the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas is located in tunnels under the hospital complex.
Hamas commits atrocities against civilians
Israel has set itself the goal of destroying Hamas after hundreds of fighters from the Palestinian organization, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and the EU, entered Israel on 7 October and committed atrocities, mainly against civilians. According to Israeli figures, around 1,200 people were killed and around 240 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
In response to the Hamas attack, Israel launched massive attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip, and ground troops have now also entered the area. According to Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, around 12,000 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since the attacks began.
- Despite the international criticism towards Israel's actions during the Israel war in the Gaza Strip, German international law expert Matthias Herdegen defends Israel's military operations, claiming serious violations on the part of Hamas.
- Herdegen, Director of the Institute for International Law in Bonn, stated that Israel does not have to accept Hamas's permanent entrenchment behind civilians in an illegal manner, as per international law.
- The expert accused Hamas of serious violations by setting up weapons caches under clinics, residential buildings, and schools in the Gaza Strip, which is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
- The Israeli army's actions, including the storming of the Al-Shaifa hospital in the city of Gaza, have faced international criticism due to the presence of alleged Hamas headquarters in tunnels under the hospital complex.
- Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and EU, has committed atrocities against civilians in Israel after hundreds of its fighters entered Israel on 7 October, leading to Israel's goal of destroying Hamas and resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 240 hostage-takings in the Gaza Strip.
Source: www.ntv.de
