U.N. Expert Francesca Albanese on Gaza, Journalist Deaths, and Cutting Ties with Israel

Targeting of Journalists and Civilians

• 🎯 Journalists, medical personnel, and rescue workers are civilians protected under international humanitarian law, and their targeting or killing is unlawful.
• 🚨 Francesca Albanese highlights a pattern of targeting and killing journalists in Gaza, suggesting an intentional, widespread, and systematic attack that could qualify as a crime against humanity.
• 📈 Over 245 journalists have been killed in Gaza, with some reports indicating numbers as high as 270, underscoring the severity of the conflict.
• 💔 The conflict has resulted in widespread starvation, with over 303 Palestinians confirmed to have starved to death, and a complete destruction of Gaza's landscape.

International Law and State Obligations

• ⚖️ The International Court of Justice has confirmed Israel's presence in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem is unlawful and must be dismantled.
• ⚠️ Member states have an obligation not to aid or assist Israel in maintaining its unlawful presence, and delays in action increase their responsibility and potential complicity in crimes.
• 🚢 Albanese calls for member states to break the siege of Gaza by sending navies with humanitarian aid, food, and baby formula, emphasizing this is a state obligation, not an individual one.
• 🔗 It is time to cut ties with Israel, including trade and investment relations, as these assist in maintaining Israel's unlawful presence and annexation.

Sanctions and Accountability

• 🚫 The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese for naming companies profiting from the Israeli occupation and genocide, which she argues is a violation of the First Amendment and international law.
• 🏛️ Albanese views the sanctions against her and ICC judges/prosecutors as a sign of fragility and an attempt to silence those pursuing justice and accountability.
• 🌍 The United States is identified as the single most important factor of crisis in the United Nations system, paralyzing its ability to act due to its consistent sheltering of Israel from accountability.

Annexation and Ethnic Cleansing

• 🗺️ Israel is advancing its ethnic cleansing agenda through annexation in the West Bank, formalizing what has been happening for 57 years with illegal settlements.
• 🇵🇸 Settlements are described as war crimes on stolen land, resulting in the dispossession and displacement of Palestinians.
• 🛡️ The deployment of a protection presence is suggested as a necessary measure to stop Israel's actions in the occupied territories, as Israel has no sovereignty there.
• 📰 A leaked Israeli army document suggests that only one in six people killed in Gaza were Hamas combatants, with at least 70-80% of the death toll being civilians, primarily women and children.