Little has been done by the UN and UN member states since the UNGA President release his strongly worded statement (below this) against the Israeli bombardment hitting the civilian population of Gaza.

By the time the UN applies any effective pressure on Israel to cease and desist, the civilian population of Gaza will have endured even more than it has to date and Israel will have achieved its objectives at a terrible cost to the already suffering civilian population of Gaza.

Whilst recognising the right of Israel to defend itself in retaliating against Hamas rocket attacks it is not justification for deliberately planned and executed bombing of civilian areas.

It begs the question does Israel and those in charge of it have immunity from prosecution for war crimes and abusing human rights, as knowingly bombarding civilian areas is a war crime and a gross abuse of human rights.

President of the UN General Assembly speaks out against the Israeli the war in Gaza

The following statement was released on the 27th December 2008 by H.E. Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly since 16 September 2008.

The behaviour by Israel in bombarding Gaza is simply the commission of wanton aggression by a very powerful state against a territory that it illegally occupies.

Time has come to take firm action if the United Nations does not want to be rightly accused of complicity by omission.

The Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an Occupying Power and in the requirements of the laws of war.

Those violations include:

Collective punishment – the entire 1.5 million people who live in the crowded Gaza Strip are being punished for the actions of a few militants.

Targeting civilians – the airstrikes were aimed at civilian areas in one of the most crowded stretches of land in the world, certainly the most densely populated area of the Middle East.

Disproportionate military response – the airstrikes have not only destroyed every police and security office of Gaza’s elected government, but have killed and injured hundreds of civilians; at least one strike reportedly hit groups of students attempting to find transportation home from the university.

I remind all member states of the United Nations that the UN continues to be bound to an independent obligation to protect any civilian population facing massive violations of international humanitarian law – regardless of what country may be responsible for those violations.   I call on all Member States, as well as officials and every relevant organ of the United Nations system, to move expeditiously not only to condemn Israel’s serious violations, but to develop new approaches to providing real protection for the Palestinian people.
Link to UN General Assembly President