Collective punishment is a crime against humanity - Explaining the United Nations' position on this.
By attacking Hamas fighters whom Israel claimed as having embedded themselves within the civilian population in Gaza and making public confessions about their intentions about committing such actions, Israel has confessed to committing collective punishment against the people of Gaza and is therefore guilty of the crime of collective punishment.
The United Nations has consistently condemned the practice of collective punishment as a violation of international humanitarian law and human rights norms. Here is the UN's position on collective punishment:
1. Collective punishment is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions, which are the core treaties of international humanitarian law. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly states: "No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed."
2. The UN views collective punishment as a form of collective sanctions against civilians, which are prohibited under international law. Punishing an entire group for the actions of a few individuals is considered a disproportionate measure that violates the principles of distinction and proportionality.
3. The UN Human Rights Committee has condemned collective punishment as a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly the rights to life, freedom of movement, and an adequate standard of living.
4. Various UN resolutions and statements by the Secretary-General, the UN Security Council, and other UN bodies have consistently called on parties to armed conflicts to refrain from collective punishment and other measures that discriminate against civilians.
5. The UN has specifically criticized practices such as the demolition of homes, imposition of curfews, and restrictions on movement as forms of collective punishment that cause disproportionate suffering to civilian populations.
The UN regards collective punishment as a crime against humanity that violates the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and human rights law. It calls on all parties to armed conflicts to respect the rights of civilians and to ensure that punitive measures are strictly limited to those individuals who have personally committed offenses.
