Meanwhile, Global Rights Compliance, an international human rights foundation, has expressed concerns about Israel's reaction to the attack. The organisation's starvation and humanitarian crisis division is documenting and investigating starvation war crimes in Gaza.
Anna Gallina, legal adviser at the starvation and humanitarian crisis division, said by obstructing, restricting and denying aid, closing crossings and deliberately attacking humanitarian workers, Israel continued to use humanitarian aid as a bargaining tool.
She said Israel was violating the most basic humanitarian obligation to provide aid unconditionally.
“There is an urgent need to investigate these violations under the lens of the war crime of starvation to ensure their calculated nature is adequately recognised and the rights and dignity of affected civilians are not overlooked in the shadows of conflict.”
Wayne Jordash, president of the organisation, said the horrific attack by Hamas and the equally horrific violations by Israel in Gaza over the past year reflected a worrying and ever decreasing respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) among states and non-state actors globally.
“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions — the cornerstone of IHL — which remind us that wars must have limits, and that, regardless of the circumstances, respect for human dignity and compassion must always be at the forefront of our actions,” Jordash said.
* Additional reporting by Ernest Mabuza
TimesLIVE
South African family who moved to Israel are happy living there despite the war
Reporter
Image: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
As Israel held ceremonies on Monday to mark a year since Hamas launched a deadly attack against the country, a South African who moved his family there in December 2022 says his family is happy despite living in a war zone.
Saul Adler, who lives in Ra’anana, a city north of Tel Aviv, said: “We are still here. It’s great. We are settled nicely, and the kids are settled and only starting to learn the language. My wife and I found nice jobs and we are doing nicely.”
The couple has three children aged 15, 13 and 8.
During the October 7 2023 attack, Hamas killed some 1,200 people and abducted another 250. Some of those abducted are still in Gaza. Israel responded with attacks to root out Hamas in the Gaza Strip and this has led to thousands of deaths and displacement of Gaza residents.
Adler said he was happy living in Israel despite the war and sirens frequently blaring, “not as much as Ra’anana and Tel Aviv but we have family in the north that are constantly in the shelter”.
He said it was worrying that Israel was constantly being attacked with rockets by people hell-bent on destroying them.
“We are quite settled and life carries on. When Iran attacked, it was a scary time for us.”
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Adler was with his son, 15, when the attack happened.
“My son and I were outside when the attack happened, and we had to lie down at a bus stop, and I had to shield my son with my body.
“We saw it happening and saw them coming down one after another into residential areas and one guy who was with us said it looked like a missile landed on his house. It was very scary and a fireworks show.”
He said his son was really scared.
“I feel very sorry for him to be exposed to it. It’s unfortunate. My other two kids were in the bomb shelter at the time and were more than OK. But it was a harrowing experience.”
Adler said the city's residents were not having to spend most of their time in a bomb shelter but people in the north near the border with Lebanon were.
“Schools are closed, and schooling is happening in bomb shelters and on Zoom as it did during Covid-19.”
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On the day of the October 7 2023 attack, they had to go into the shelter five or six times.
“We are very happy here, funny enough, even though we live in a war zone. What you see on TV is a lot worse than the reality on the ground. Similar to what people say about South Africa. It’s [Israel] a lively place.”
Adler said he had just paid a visit the dentist with his son.
“Life is normal and I think Israelis are used to this lifestyle and there is acclimatisation. We are very happy and thank God we have a strong army to protect us. It is hard.”
From an emotional standpoint it was tough, he said.
“But it’s the price we pay to live in an amazing place.”
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Meanwhile, Global Rights Compliance, an international human rights foundation, has expressed concerns about Israel's reaction to the attack. The organisation's starvation and humanitarian crisis division is documenting and investigating starvation war crimes in Gaza.
Anna Gallina, legal adviser at the starvation and humanitarian crisis division, said by obstructing, restricting and denying aid, closing crossings and deliberately attacking humanitarian workers, Israel continued to use humanitarian aid as a bargaining tool.
She said Israel was violating the most basic humanitarian obligation to provide aid unconditionally.
“There is an urgent need to investigate these violations under the lens of the war crime of starvation to ensure their calculated nature is adequately recognised and the rights and dignity of affected civilians are not overlooked in the shadows of conflict.”
Wayne Jordash, president of the organisation, said the horrific attack by Hamas and the equally horrific violations by Israel in Gaza over the past year reflected a worrying and ever decreasing respect for international humanitarian law (IHL) among states and non-state actors globally.
“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions — the cornerstone of IHL — which remind us that wars must have limits, and that, regardless of the circumstances, respect for human dignity and compassion must always be at the forefront of our actions,” Jordash said.
* Additional reporting by Ernest Mabuza
TimesLIVE
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