Al-Tabin School Massacre: reject the normalisation of genocidal violence; halt arms sales immediately
London, 10th August: This morning, Israeli airstrikes struck at al-Tabin school, located in Gaza’s Daraj district, in a deliberate massacre of over one hundred Palestinians. ICJP condemns this war crime, and condemns the complicity of international actors unable to call out Israel’s genocidal violence for what it is. Action, including an immediate arms embargo, has been long required.
The Palestinians sheltering inside al-Tabin, displaced many times throughout Israel’s ten months of genocidal violence against Gaza, were performing morning prayers.
The world cannot continue to accept atrocities like this without sacrificing our collective humanity. And yet, after innumerate acts similar to the al-Tabin massacre, and constant targeting of Gaza’s schools, we are yet to see meaningful action by Global North states. Our governments have failed, or failed to try, to curtail Israel’s war on Gaza with its demonstrable intent for the destruction of Palestinian civilian life.
This morning’s massacre reportedly used 2,000lb bombs, of the type supplied to Israel by the United States. These payloads will have been delivered by Lockheed Martin F-16 or F-35 aircraft, both of which rely heavily on UK-produced components. The Global North continues to arm Israel and provide it with the diplomatic cover that it so crucially relies upon in order to continue this genocide.
The statement of the UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy is emblematic of this: apportioning blame to Hamas for “endangering civilians”, while calling on Israel to “comply with international law”. It is impossible to comply with international law, when your intention is to massacre displaced, starved, and ill Palestinians. There can be no further excuses for inaction. The UK must institute an immediate arms embargo on Israel, and it must abandon this facade that Israel can be prompted, nudged into compliance with international law. Without international action, Israel will destroy Gaza entirely, destroying the premise of international law with it.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
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