Statement of Solidarity with Palestine from a Group of Students/Alumni at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

23 November 2023

We, a group of current and former students at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, express our deepest concern for the Palestinian people and pledge our unwavering solidarity with them. We strongly believe that the level of violence used against Palestinian civilians is not justified under any circumstances. Therefore, we stand united in calling for the immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities, an end to ethnic cleansing, and unconditional access for humanitarian aid.

After the horrific and indiscriminate attack by Hamas on 7^th October, the government of Israel started a military campaign against the population of Gaza that gave rise to countless violations of international law. These violations included carrying out disproportionate military attacks, using weapons with indiscriminate effects when used in densely populated areas, targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, and failing to take effective precautionary measures to keep the civilian population safe. They resulted in the killing of over 14,128 Palestinians, 74% of whom were women or children. The casualties also include at least 108 humanitarian workers, including UN staff, and 53 journalists.

Furthermore, the Israeli government has made it difficult for Palestinians to leave, take refuge, and access full medical and sanitary supplies due to the total siege it has ordered. The lack of safe zones and humanitarian corridors further exacerbates these problems, in addition to the multiple attacks on hospitals and schools, including the targeting of a UNRWA school. Israel’s actions have been condemned by UN experts as crimes against humanity posing a risk of genocide against the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, thousands of Gazan workers in Israel were forcibly disappeared and allegedly tortured, while Palestinians in the West Bank are subjected to a surge in arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and killings by Israeli security forces and settlers.

Israel has been violating Palestinians’ rights for decades. Its establishment in 1948 resulted in the Nakba in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were violently displaced, leading to long-standing grievances and disputes over territory and the right to return. The international community has repeatedly expressed its grave concerns about Israeli violations during armed conflicts as well as serious human rights violations committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Numerous highly-renowned international, Palestinian, and Israeli human rights NGOs as well as multiple UN bodies convincingly argued that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians by maintaining a system of racial domination and oppression.

We are deeply concerned by the international community’s indifference toward Israel’s blatant violations of international law. Israel’s ability to sustain this oppression is facilitated by the assistance and cooperation it receives from other countries and international organizations. We echo UN experts and the International Commission of Jurists in reminding all States of their international duty to prevent genocide and that this obligation is triggered as soon as there is a serious risk of genocide. It is, therefore, imperative that we do not simply sit and watch this unfold. States must consider the risk of facilitating and financing international crimes, including by legitimizing Israel’s indiscriminate military action and providing them with arms. 

Human rights are inherent to all human beings. Therefore, it is imperative that the international community not only ensures a ceasefire but also holds the Israeli authorities accountable for international law violations committed against Palestinians.  All systems of discriminatory, violent, and systematic oppression must be abolished while unequivocally securing the inalienable right of Palestinians to self-determination.

In Solidarity,

A Collection of Signatories from the Geneva Academy

All signatories support this statement in a strictly personal capacity. The statement should not be understood to reflect the opinion of the Geneva Academy. The list of signatories was last updated on 30 November 2023.