Palestinians given glow sticks contrary to international law
The Israeli military are giving glow sticks to Palestinians in northern Gaza who have been interrogated and ordered south contrary to international law, according to MiddleEastEye on November 7th.
The new practice is apparently used to mark forcibly displaced Palestinians so that they are not attacked on their exodus out of north Gaza.
However, legal experts have warned these measures may result in civilians without glow sticks being targeted by the military.
They say this violates the distinction between combatants and civilians contrary to a fundamental principle of international humanitarian law.
Lima Bustami, a Palestinian legal consultant, told MEE: “The criteria for determining who may be lawfully attacked should be based on an individual’s participation in hostilities, not on arbitrary factors such as whether they are holding a light stick.”
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The measure comes after Israel redoubled their efforts to depopulate the region, raiding hospitals and homes, according to Levantis.me.
The effectiveness of the stick to be seen at distance, especially during day light hours, remains dubious, and it is reported to only last around 12 hours.
Samir, 42, is one of the thousands of Palestinians forced out of the Jabalia and was told that if he dropped the light he would be bombed.
While attempting to leave with his wheelchair-bound friend, they were detained by Israel forces and beaten after Samir refused to leave his friend behind.
Upon release, they headed south through the night, Samir recalling: “It was dark, and the road was very rough due to the rubble everywhere.”
“I faced great difficulties pushing my friend in the wheelchair.”
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Another Palestinian forced from Jabalia, Muhammed Kareem Hamdan, was also given a glow stick after interrogation in Beit Lahia.
Hamdan said: “They gave us a yellow light. It’s a plastic piece that lights up when broken. It only lasts for about 12 hours and then goes out. This light has no on or off button; they told us to hold it and walk south.”
“Yet, even with the light, they terrified us. Tanks sped by right next to us and could have run us over if we hadn’t taken caution,” he said.
On October 25th, the last operational hospital in north Gaza was stormed by Israeli forces following a barrage of air strikes that killed patients, including children inside.
After evacuating the patients of Kamal Adwan hospital, including people in intensive care, Israeli forces detained all the men and subjected them to interrogation, according to Levantis.me.
In a video published on his social media page following the bombing, director of Kamal Adwan, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya: “Instead of receiving aid, we receive tanks…which are shelling the building.”
“Where is the law? Which law in the world allows for a hospital to be directly targeted?”
“What is happening in the hospital is a crime and genocide against the Palestinian people.”
MiddleEastEye and Levantis.me
