As the international community once again files out horror-struck from the political theater of the Middle East, in bleak 72-hour assessment of the violence it has collectively witnessed in Gaza over the past month, whether from near or afar, the consensus remains clear: the utter depravity of Israel’s crimes against Palestine must be addressed.At of the time of this report, the death toll on the already besieged community which populates the Gaza Strip now racks near 2,000, with statistics pointing to a civilian loss of at least 80%, to include women, children, elderly and disabled — entire families — crushed under the rubble of continuous military strikes coming to them from Israel by land, air and sea.
“What we are witnessing is nothing short of a massacre against the Palestinian people. Israel must be made to pay a heavy economic and political price for its crimes against the people of Gaza,” asserts BDS spokesperson Zaid Shuaibi, in reiteration of worldwide calls for governments to hold Israel accountable and for the rebolstering of BDS initiatives to end Israel’s criminal impunity.
Governments across the globe are now stepping up to pressure the heavily financed and Western-backed regime into complying with the international laws and human rights policies to which they are already signatory and, in many cases, in gross violation of.
BDS reports that Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador and Peru have all recalled their ambassadors from Israel, following suit with Bolivia and Venezuela who withdrew their ambassadors during the 2008-09 massacre in Gaza.
Bolivian president Evo Morales has also recently furthered the country’s efforts by renouncing a previous visa exemption agreement with Israel, in cold assessment of the atrocities committed in Gaza, and ultimately declared Israel a ‘terrorist state’.
President Dilma Rousseff, of Brazil, described the crisis in Gaza as Israel’s “massacre”, BDS further reports, noting that the term has also been used by the French foreign ministry in referencing the current military offensive Israel has so half-wittingly chosen to bequeath with the title of ‘Operation Protective Edge’.
The wanton targeting of civilians during a security operation is not regarded as a legitimate strategy by international dictates and is, in fact, considered to constitute war crimes.
Turkish PM and presidential candidate Recep Erdogan has gone so far as to use the word “genocide” in expressing his country’s outrage.
Also making moves to further bar the influence of Israeli politics on world governments are South Africa, Chile and Maldives, as diplomats are recalled and trade sanctions are imposed.
“The trade and diplomatic sanctions taken in particular by countries from the global south are a hugely welcome step that we urge other governments to follow. States have a legal and moral obligation to do all that they can to hold Israel to account for its violations of international law, including by cancelling free trade agreements and imposing a military embargo, as a first concrete step,” spokesperson Shuaibi further stated in regard.
On August 5th, a group of activists from the London Palestine Action Network chained the doors of an Israeli weapons factory based near Birmingham occupied the roof.
Just today, the country of Spain froze all arms and technological sales to Israel, according to El Pais newspaper.
Additionally, a petition for a military embargo on Israel was recently launched by 6 Nobel laureates and dozens of celebrities. It has now been signed by over than 45,000 people, in cohesion with a recent joint declaration by international law experts on the illegality of Israel’s merciless and indiscriminate slaughter of Gaza’s civilian population.
With note to the temporary ceasefire currently in progress, the Middle East Monitor reports that Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Malki, during renewed efforts by officials to bring Israel before the International Criminal Court, said on Tuesday:
‘We expect the ceasefire to expand into another 72 hours and beyond.’
For more information on BDS and further citing of international efforts to end hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territories, please refer to the official BDS website.
