Guyana flags ‘blatant disregard’ of int’l law after Israel’s attacks in Rafah

Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues- Birkett, on Wednesday flagged the “blatant disregard” of the rule of law following Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, where displaced Palestinians were seeking refuge.

Many people have been sheltering in Rafah, a city in Gaza. Al Jazeera, however, reported that Israeli strikes have killed at least 37 Palestinians there, most of them in tents. The attacks have been widely condemned but Israel’s offensive continues.

Ambassador Rodrigues- Birkett, during a meeting of the UN Security Council, said the attacks are a stark reminder of how unsafe Gaza remains for its people. And she said there is a need for an urgent probe, given the severity of the crisis unfolding there.

“Guyana calls for a swift, independent and international investigation to establish the facts surrounding this incident, including to identify the perpetrators.

“We must not continue to accept the all too familiar explanations of these incidents being mistakes or miscalculations.

“There is no justification for the killing of innocent civilians and the Geneva Conventions of 1949 are clear on the obligation to protect civilians,” she said.

Though calling for a probe, Ambassador Rodrigues- Birkett flagged the clear disregard of international law. She reminded the Council that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued three sets of provisional measures to quell the violence and protect human life.

“… but there is no compliance,” she lamented.

The Permanent Representative added, “Indeed, two days had not yet passed following the last order by the Court for Israel to halt military operations in Rafah, when the attack in Tal al-Sultan took place. The Council must seriously consider how to address this blatant disregard for the rule of law.”

As she called for the Security Council, and wider the entire UN, to seriously work towards peaceful solutions, Ambassador Rodrigues- Birkett said Guyana continues to call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and increased humanitarian support.

She also emphasised that Guyana stands in solidarity with Palestine and wants “serious long-term efforts” towards achieving the two-state solution.

Guyana has, for years, called for this two-state solution at various international fora. Such a solution to the Israel/ Palestine conflict would result in an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel.