Why Protect Palestine?
In January 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel is “plausibly” committing genocide in Gaza, ordering immediate action to prevent further atrocities. However, Israel ignored this ruling and intensified its military operations. The international community must act now to stop this genocide and protect Palestinian lives.
International organizations and experts have condemned Israel’s actions, with reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN experts like Francesca Albanese confirming that Israel’s military actions constitute genocide under international law. The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry have also concluded that Israel’s actions amount to genocide, urging for immediate intervention. Israeli leaders are being investigated for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, with the Prime Minister and Defense Minister receiving arrest warrants.
There is both a moral and legal obligation to stop genocide, which is considered to be the “crime of crimes”.
1.STOP THE GENOCIDE
Since October 2023, Israel has unleashed in Gaza—a blockaded occupied enclave of Palestinian land with 2.3 million inhabitants--the most sustained and intense bombing campaign of a populated area in history, and cut the civilian population off from necessities required for their survival, including food, water and electricity.
In this frenzy of unhinged genocidal violence, no one has been spared. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, including 17,000 children. Entire families have been wiped off the population registry in Gaza. Medical staff, United Nations staff, humanitarian personnel, journalists, children have been directly targeted and killed. Thousands of people are buried in mass graves, denied dignity even in death.
And nothing has been spared-- schools, hospitals, churches, tents with refugee families sheltering in them, apartment buildings, bakeries, power supplies. Almost all civilian infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed, and millions of people forcibly displaced, many multiple times over, running while there is no safe place.
As Israel persists with its willful killing of Palestinian civilians and callous disregard of human life, the international community has a legal obligation to protect the Palestinian people, ensuring the safety and well-being of a defenseless civilian population being held captive under a more-than half century and more-than decade blockade.
2.PROTECT CIVILIANS
The scale and intensity of Israel’s aerial bombardment of Gaza has reached catastrophic proportions, resulting in the widespread destruction of civilian life and infrastructure. Independent observers and humanitarian agencies have documented entire neighbourhoods levelled, hospitals rendered inoperable, and shelters obliterated in what amounts to a relentless campaign of collective punishment. The sheer volume of airstrikes—numbering in the tens of thousands—has devastated the enclave and rendered Gaza the most dangerous places in the world for civilians.
Despite international calls for restraint and multiple ceasefire proposals, the aerial assault continues unabated. The failure of diplomatic pressure and the paralysis of international institutions in halting the bombardment underscore the urgent necessity for a decisive intervention. A no fly zone, enforced by a coalition of willing states, would serve as a clear and credible measure to end the aerial attacks and protect the lives of countless civilians. This is not a matter of politics, but of basic human survival and the enforcement of international humanitarian law.
Establishing a no fly zone entails a military commitment, the alternative—continued inaction—means the further erosion of international norms and the mass killing of a trapped civilian population. The time has come for the international community to act decisively: to enforce a no fly zone over Gaza and halt the machinery of aerial warfare that has reduced a besieged population to rubble.
3.ESTABLISH NO FLY ZONE
Israel continues to impose an illegal blockade on Gaza, curtting off essential supplies like food, water, and medical aid. The Israeli government’s attacks on humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), have further hindered aid delivery, intensifying the suffering of Gaza’s population. Hospitals, food distribution centers, and water systems are running out of supplies, leaving people in desperate need.
The healthcare system is overwhelmed, and with critical infrastructure destroyed, many conditions are worsening due to lack of basic care. The interruption of aid violates international law and highlights the urgent need for intervention to prevent further suffering.
A protective force is crucial to ensure the safe delivery of aid. This force would protect humanitarian convoys, secure aid routes, and safeguard critical infrastructure.
4.ENSURE HUMANITARIAN AID
The Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law, enshrined in the UN Charter. For decades, Israel's illegal occupation and military actions have undermined Palestinians’ ability to exercise this right.
In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion affirming that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, is illegal under international law, must be put to an end and all Israeli settlers evacuated from Palestinian territory. Following this opinion, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Israel to end its occupation and evacuate all settlers within 12 months.
Despite this, Israel has only consolidating and expanded its illegal occupation.
An international military presence is crucial to ensure implementation of the United Nations resolution so that the Palestinian people can finally exercise their right to self-determination.
