Overview

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli Occupation Forces have carried out indiscriminate and disproportionate military attacks on the Gaza Strip, as well as other unlawful attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of a large number of civilians and have caused permanent disabilities, among many others. Numerous health, educational, and service buildings have been destroyed using various conventional weapons, including missiles, rocket launchers, aircraft, combat tanks, and small arms. Human rights organizations have documented the occurrence of war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Israeli occupation forces.

According to Maat estimates, Israeli Occupation Forces have killed thousands of civilians and left many others with permanent disabilities, including limb amputations. They have also destroyed homes and residential buildings, causing significant damage to Gaza's infrastructure, including medical and educational facilities, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, as well as disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks, are considered war crimes under the rules of international humanitarian law.

Despite the documentation and reporting of grave violations committed by Israeli Occupation Forces against civilians, the supply of weapons and military support to Israel continues in clear violation of the principles, agreements, and rules of international humanitarian law. This is particularly evident in the violation of Article 6 of the Arms Trade Treaty, which explicitly states that States Parties must not authorize the transfer of conventional weapons if they know, at the time of authorization, that the weapons or ammunition will be used to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, or serious violations of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. It is worth noting that the Israeli Occupation Forces have used weapons and ammunition received through these supplies to directly attack civilians and civilian targets in the Gaza Strip.

Therefore, this Paper aims to discuss human rights consequences of military support provided to Israel in the Gaza Strip. The attacks carried out by the Israeli Occupation Forces against defenseless Palestinians demonstrate that military exports enable Israel to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.