Israeli oppression, war crimes clearly visible in Gaza: Lawyer

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) – Israel does not bother trying to conceal the oppression and crimes it is committing in Gaza, a French lawyer said.

Faten Ben Hassine, one of the lawyers who advocates for Palestinians' rights at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, told Anadolu the existing amount of evidence is sufficient to prove the crimes committed in Gaza. Still, it cannot be transmitted to human rights advocates due to a ban.

"Those who are in the field release videos. We learn the truth and what is happening through them," said Ben Hassine, noting, for example, that Amnesty International's investigation showed that Israel used white phosphorus bombs in Gaza.

"It is impossible for white phosphorus bombs not to hit civilians," she added, highlighting that international law has been violated multiple times in Gaza.

"We are speaking of 10,000 casualties in a month," said the Toulon-based lawyer.

Ben Hassine also commented on photos taken by Anadolu journalists in the field documenting the war crimes Israel has committed.

"As we see in the photos, I noticed that the ammunition was used above the infrastructure and residential buildings. We can see the will to target civilians," she said.

She recalled that Israel also used white phosphorus ammunition against Gaza in 2009 and vowed never to use it again in 2013.

Ben Hassine is one of the lawyers who took part in a complaint filed with the ICC on Nov. 9 by her peer, Gilles Devers, against Israel's war crimes and genocidal activities in Gaza.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Nur Asena Erturk in Ankara