AL-HAQ DIVIDE AND CONQUER A LEGAL ANALYSIS OF ISRAEL’S 2014 MILITARY OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE GAZA STRIP AL-HAQ 2015 AL-Haq - 54 Main Street 2nd & 3rd Fl. - Opp. Latin Patriarchate Saint Andrew’s Evangelical Church - (Protestant Hall) P.O.Box: 1413 - Ramallah - West Bank - Palestine Tel: + 972 (0) 2 2954646/7/9 Fax: + 972 (0) 2 2954903 www.alhaq.org ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank: Al-Haq, Al Mezan, Aldameer and the Palestinian Center Authors: Dr. Susan Power and Nada Kiswanson van Hooydonk forthe HumanGaza Strip Rights, who in gathered particular and their processed field researchers invaluable in ISBN 978-9950-327-43-6 information under the most stringent of circumstances. Cover Photo Houses destroyed . Shuja’iyya. 30 September 2014. (c) Ali Jadallah Ali Hassan Jadallah, Mohammad Abu Rahmeh and Tareq Zaqqoot for capturing what happened in the Gaza Strip. Design Hamza Dado Maha Abdallah, Rula Majrouh, Mahmoud AbuRahma, Publisher: Al-Haq - © All Rights Reserved and Nuriya Oswald for channeling the collected data. Dr. Robert Heinsch for providing external advice. And Hamza Dado for his patience and design, and Wesam Ahmad for his guidance . Any quotation of up to 500 words may be used without permission provided that full attribution is given. Longer quotations or entire chapters or sections of this study may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored on any retrieval system of any nature, without the express written permission of Al-Haq. AL-HAQ 2015 4.1.2 Attacks on Ambulances and the Killing of Paramedics ........................................................................ 51 4.2 LEGAL ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................. 53 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.2.1 Delays and the Inviolability of the Wounded and Sick ....................................................................... 53 4.2.2 Unlawful Attacks on Ambulances ....................................................................................................... 54 Direct Attacks against Ambulances and Paramedics ............................................................. 54 The Destruction of Ambulances and Collateral Damage ...................................................................... 56 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 5. ATTACKS AGAINST HEALTH FACILITIES .............................................................................................................. 57 CONTEXT ............................................................................................................................................................................... 10 5.1 DAMAGE TO HEALTH FACILITIES ................................................................................................................. 57 1. ISRAEL’S CONTINUED OCCUPATION OF THE GAZA STRIP .............................................................................. 13 5.1.1 Attacks against Health Facilities .............................................................................................................. 58 1.1 ISRAEL’S CONTROL OVER THE GAZA STRIP ....................................................................................................... 13 5.2 LEGAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 60 1.1.1 The ‘Disengagement Plan’ ........................................................................................................................ 15 5.2.1 Targeting of Civilian Health Facilities ........................................................................................................... 60 1.1.2 The Closure .................................................................................................................................................... 16 5.2.2 Provision of Medical Supplies ................................................................................................................. 64 Israel’s Separation Policy ............................................................................................................................ 19 6. DESTRUCTION OF ELECTRICITY, WATER AND SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................... 65 1.1.3 The Buffer Zone ............................................................................................................................................ 22 6.1 DESTRUCTION OF VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................................... 65 1.2 LEGAL ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 6.1.1 Attacks on the Gaza Power Plant .............................................................................................................. 66 2. TARGETED KILLING OF CIVILIANS ........................................................................................................................... 27 6.1.2 Attacks on water and sewage infrastructure ........................................................................................... 67 2.1 ISRAELI POLICIES AND PRACTICES REGARDING CIVILIANS ............................................................................ 27 6.2 LEGAL ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................... 68 2.1.1 Enemies as ‘Automatic’ Legitimate Targets ................................................................................................ 29 7. FORCIBLE TRANSFER AND EVACUATION OF PALESTINIANS ............................................................................ 71 Police Officers ................................................................................................................................................. 30 7.1 DISPLACEMENT OF PALESTINIANS ............................................................................................................... 71 2.1.2 Voluntary human shields ................................................................................................................................. 31 7.1.1 Expansion of Buffer Zone ............................................................................................................................... 72 2.1.3 The Hannibal Directive ................................................................................................................................ 32 7.1.2 Advance Warnings ...................................................................................................................................... 74 The Killing of Palestinian Civilians in Rafah ...................................................................................... 33 7.1.3 Destruction of Civilian Objects .................................................................................................................... 75 2.2 LEGAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................. 35 7.2 LEGAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 76 2.2.1 Characterization of Civilians ........................................................................................................................ 36 7.2.1 Evacuation of Protected Persons ............................................................................................................... 76 2.2.2 Protection of Civilians and Advance Warnings ......................................................................................... 37 7.2.2 Forcible Transfer ............................................................................................................................................. 79 2.2.3 Distinction and Proportionality .................................................................................................................. 40 7.2.3 Precautionary measures ................................................................................................................................ 81 2.2.4 Police Officers’ Civilian Status .................................................................................................................. 40 CONCLUDING REMARKS .................................................................................................................................................... 83 3. ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA BUILDINGS ....................................................................... 42 3.1 ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND THE DESTRUCTION OF MEDIA PROPERTY ................................ 42 ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................... 86 3.2 LEGAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................ 45 GLOSSARY ...........................................................................................................................................................................