ICHR calls on the international community to hold the occupying state accountable for its continuous aggression against the Gaza Strip, specifically targeting civilians and civilian properties, including universities.

In its persistent campaign against the Gaza Strip, systematically targeting civilians and civilian objects, Israeli occupation forces’ aircraft struck Al-Azhar University in Gaza on Saturday, November 4. The strikes, specifically, targeted the new buildings of the university in the Al-Mughraqa area south of Gaza City. This marks the third attack by the occupying forces on Al-Azhar University in less than a month, in addition to their destructive attack on the Islamic University earlier last month.

 

These acts of war against civilian infrastructure, including universities and educational institutions, constitute a war crime subject to accountability under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. This further adds to the record of those responsible within the occupying state who order and/or participate in the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

 

Targeting universities and educational institutions flagrantly violates the Palestinians' right to education, a fundamental human right that should be available to all without discrimination. This will have far-reaching and destructive consequences on the Palestinians' right to education.

ICHR for Human Rights calls on third-party states to the Geneva Conventions and other human rights conventions, as well as human rights defenders, to pressure the government of the occupying state to cease its aggression against the Gaza Strip and to stop the genocide therein. The International Criminal Court is urged to initiate an immediate criminal investigation into the officials in Israel for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of genocide.

ICHR also calls on the International Association of Universities, the Association of Arab Universities, the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World, the Mediterranean Universities Union , and all academic institutions to take a strong stance and condemn the targeting of universities and educational institutions in Gaza. They are urged to take action to provide protection for these institutions.