I ask him if the crisis in Gaza makes him worry about the survival of international law.
He pointed out that prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) were seeking arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defense minister.
Prosecutors also applied for warrants for three Hamas leaders. All three, including Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, are now dead.
“It (international law) does not work on the field in relation to Russia and Ukraine. It does not work in the field in relation to Sudan. It does not work in the field in relation to Palestine and Israel.”
“There are no just ifs and buts. We have to recognize that, but that’s not a reason to tear down the whole system.
“Basically, if you ask yourself what the alternative is to a piece of paper with the word treaty on it, you go back to the 1930s and at least what we have now is a system of rules that allows people to stand up and say, ‘This is a violation of the treaty. ’”
We asked the IDF for an interview, but they said they did not have a spokesperson today and referred us to their previous statement: “The IDF will continue to act in accordance with international law.”
And today the Army’s humanitarian relief arm, COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territory), said its policy was to facilitate the flow of aid to Gaza “without restrictions.”
This is the story of Israel. But it faces widespread challenges as scenes of civilian suffering in Jabalia continue to emerge.
With additional reporting by Rudabah Abbass, Haneen Abdeen and Alice Doyard.
