UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations’ senior human rights official said on Thursday she believed Israel was deliberately defying international law in its military offensive in Gaza and that world powers should hold it accountable for possible war crimes.

Israel has attacked homes, schools, hospitals, and UN premises in apparent violation of the Geneva Conventions, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said a week after her Human Rights Council resolved to open a commission of inquiry into Israel’s alleged crimes against humanity.

Israel vows to crush Gaza tunnels, snubs UN

“Therefore I would say that they appear to be defying... deliberate defiance of obligations that international law imposes on Israel,” Ms Pillay told a news briefing in Geneva. “This is why again and again I say we cannot allow impunity, we cannot allow this lack of accountability to go on.” 

She also criticised the United States, Israel’s main ally, for failing to use its influence with the Jewish state to halt the carnage. 

“Many of my remarks have been directed to the United States since they are a party with influence over Israel to do much more to stop the killing, to bring the parties to the negotiating table. I’ve called also for an end to the blockade and an end to the occupation.” 

She said that she was appalled at Washington consistently voting against resolutions on Israel in the Human Rights Council, General Assembly and Security Council. 

“They have not only provided the heavy weaponry which is now being used by Israel in Gaza but they’ve also provided almost $1 billion in providing the ‘Iron Domes’ to protect the Israel from rocket attacks,” she said. “But no such protection has been provided to Gazans against the shelling.” 

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014