It is essential that the international community takes a stand over Israel’s banning of the UNRWA. To fail to do so not only means abandoning the people of Gaza. It will also have global ramifications.

I reprint some of the conclusions of Mohammad Abu Hawash below. For the full article in New Politics, click here. 

Father Dave

The horrifying acts of indiscriminate murder, domicile, urbicide, and ecocide in Gaza must have consequences. Otherwise, a dangerous precedent will be set for Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other areas where grave human rights violations are being perpetrated. Additionally, failing to act on Gaza will delegitimize the international rules-based order in irreparable ways.

This is why it is important to hold Israeli officials at all levels accountable for the violence they sanctioned regardless of whether they cave in to global pressure and end their military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon or not. The war has already gone on for too long and irreparable damage has been done. Therefore, Israeli leaders must answer for the crimes they sanctioned. Lower-ranked Israeli military commanders and soldiers such as those implicated in torture and sexual violence at the Sde Teiman concentration camp should also answer for their crimes.